Book 56: The Rebirth
by DinosaurNothlit
Summary: Sequel to The Difference. Ax, Jake, Marco, and Tobias have returned home, only to face an all-too-familiar enemy. A new war is on the horizon. But the past, in its varied guises, still haunts all of the Animorphs. Chapter 29 is up! Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 (Shaliph 443)

My name is Shaliph-four-four-three.

And I am a Yeerk.

You've probably heard of Yeerks before. The fact of our existence is no longer a secret, now that the great war against the Yeerks is over. Everyone on earth now knows about the evil, little grey slugs that could crawl in your ear and take over your mind, enslave you completely and totally, take away your free will. Everyone knows about the race of parasites that used to spread from world to world, like a virus, conquering and enslaving one innocent race after another.

Well, you can forget that image now. That isn't what we are anymore.

With only a few exceptions, none of us still live as parasites, thanks to morphing technology. After the war, the Andalites, meddling hypocrites that they are, forced most of us to become what they call _nothlits_, trapped forever in a body not our own.

It seemed like a good idea at first, even to me. But, as time went on, and the Yeerk-_nothlit_ Act was enforced more and more, I saw what it really was we were giving up. We were gaining the freedom that came with having our own bodies, but we were losing freedom, too. The freedom to be who we are. The freedom of choice.

I'm sure I sound like a hypocrite, a Yeerk talking about 'freedom' and 'choice.' But then again, if I'm a hypocrite for wanting my race to have the freedom to choose our own lives, then the Andalites are far worse hypocrites for taking that freedom from us.

If I had to do it over again, I would have stayed a Yeerk. I would have fought to the death against the Yeerk-_nothlit_ Act. I would have refused to give up my people, my culture. My self. Not for all the host bodies in the world.

Turning away from the path of parasitism was a terrible mistake for us. I saw that now. Letting another race tell you your kind is evil, letting them tell you what you are and what you should be, that was a mistake. The entire Yeerk peace movement was just a terrible, misguided mistake.

Don't get me wrong. I understand why the peace movement came into being. Sure, I'd started out all gung-ho about conquest and enslavement, like most Yeerks. But upon coming to earth, and being assigned a human host, I began to look at things differently. There's something about infesting a human being that just . . . changes you. With Gedds, and Hork-Bajir, and even Taxxons, it's merely an entertaining challenge to conquer the mind. I can't really describe it to a non-Yeerk, but it really is an amazing feeling. Knowing that you can be so powerful, with only your thoughts! Oh, the power, and the intoxicating feeling of pride!

Humans . . . aren't quite like that. Humans are the first species that we've infested that really make you feel like you're doing something wrong. They plead for freedom more convincingly than any Hork-bajir ever could. They try to reason with you, they hate you, they plot against you. They fight you. They force you to think about what you're doing to them. That is why so many Yeerks have 'gone human,' when almost none have ever 'gone Hork-Bajir,' or (heaven forbid) 'gone Gedd.'

I can't deny that my first human host changed me, too. She was a lawyer. Gail was her name. She was very opinionated, very argumentative. She didn't like what I was doing, and she never let me forget it. At first, I would just fight back, still in the general Yeerk frame of mind that my host was just a challenge to be overcome.

Then, it gradually began to dawn on me that we weren't really all that different, Gail and I. She saw my resolve weakening, and changed her tactics. Instead of fighting me openly, she began to engage me in almost-friendly mental discussions. It was through those conversations that my frame of mind really began to shift. I began to realize that my host, my 'slave' was, in many ways, my equal.

That was a fairly world-shattering revelation to me. To almost any Yeerk. And that is, I think, why so many Yeerks hide from that realization. Why they are so determined to deny that their slaves are anything like them. Because it would turn their lives upside down, make them question everything. And, in the end, it would be this single, simple truth that would destroy us.

Because of this one moral qualm, we were now losing whatever broken fragments of our own culture that the Andalites had left us with. In the easily foreseeable future, the entire Yeerk people would be only a distant memory.

Our _nothlit_ descendants would be brought up in a world where their Yeerk ancestry was shameful. They would be taught to hide what they were, to try to forget and erase our culture. The next generations of Yeerks would simply dissolve into the very cultures that their ancestors were once trapped as. Human. Hork-Bajir. Taxxon. Gedd. Andalite.

But we would not disappear peacefully. We were not about to fade away without a fight.

I was not going to be forgotten.

My sleep was interrupted by the piercing note of my alarm clock. I shut it off without looking at it, just as I do every morning. After a moment, struggling to rouse myself from my rest, I sat up, and glanced at the clock. Seven oh five. Not bad, considering my usual tendency to stay in bed for at least a good ten minutes after the alarm goes off. Human bodies have such a hard time of transitioning between sleep and consciousness. But, of course, I was used to that by now.

I yawned, stretched, and checked my reflection in the mirror. The human form I had chosen was young, barely even a teenager. I had wanted to start my life as a human fairly close to the beginning. Start with a fresh slate, as it were.

I checked my hair in the mirror, reaching for a hairbrush to smooth out the tangles. I had sort of orange-blond hair, a mix between red and blond, reaching down just a bit past my shoulders. Not perfectly straight, but not really all that curly, either. Just a little bit uneven in texture. My eyes were somewhere between brown and green.

I'm a mixed morph. I worked pretty hard to make my appearance unique. I decided to be female, just because that was how I thought of myself. Yeerks don't have sexes, of course.

I got dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and slacks, the outfit I'd picked out the night before. I wanted to look my best today.

I am a member of the New Resistance. We were holding a meeting today.

Instead of fighting against parasitism, like the old peace movement did, the New Resistance consists of Yeerks who fight for the right to be what we are. Almost a complete reversal, but then, the popular attitudes among Yeerks have reversed, too. So many of them are happy to be _nothlits_. They don't understand why we would want to hold onto our past. Our past is a disgrace to civilized races, they say.

That's exactly what the Andalites have always told us, I say. And since when have we ever let _them_ tell us what to think?

Today would be a very important meeting of the New Resistance. The top secret Project Legacy would finally be revealed to the next tier of our organization. And that tier just happened to include me.

All I knew at this point were the rumors. That Project Legacy would rebuild the Yeerk Empire, bigger and more grand than it was before. That it would keep us alive, keep us Yeerk. That it would let us take back what the Andalites took from us.

And I knew one other thing.

The Andalites were wrong to think that making us _nothlits_ would change anything. That the Act would make us harmless. That it would make us anything but Yeerks.

My name is Shaliph-four-four-three. I am a Yeerk. A Yeerk is what I will always be. And no one, human or Andalite, can ever take that away from me.

* * *

First chapter of The Rebirth. Whoohoo! No, this doesn't mean that The Difference is over. I just thought I'd get a head start on the sequel.

Note: Parts of The Rebirth won't make as much sense if you haven't read The Difference, but, hopefully, you'll still understand what's going on. Therefore, reading them in order is recommended, but not required.

Hmm, was there something else? Oh, yeah, the copyright thing. Yeah, yeah, I don't own the Animorphs, don't sue me.

Another note: I accidently posted the wrong version of this earlier. I made edits, then saved it under a different name, then uploaded the wrong one. Oops. Well, I fixed it now, but if you were wondering why parts of the story suddenly changed, that's why.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 (Cassie)

"Cass?"

"Yeah, Ronnie?"

"I think you should see this."

I put down my book and looked at the TV, which was running a news program. I turned the sound up.

"Late last night, four of the Animorphs returned home from a top-secret rescue mission. As you all know, almost a year ago Prince Aximili's ship the _Intrepid_ went missing, and soon thereafter, renowned former Animorphs Jake Berenson and Marco Esteban followed suit and disappeared. Just last night, Jake, Marco, and Prince Aximili, as well as the so-called 'forgotten Animorph' Tobias Fangor, landed a bizarre craft on a landing strip in L.A. airport. On the scene, Nathan Hunt reports."

The camera switched to showing an alien craft, unlike any I had ever seen before, resting on the tarmac, with Jake, Tobias, Marco, and Ax standing in front of it, talking to a reporter.

I think I nearly fainted when I saw Jake there, looking at me through the screen. He looked battle-worn, and hardened. It was the Jake I had known during the war looking back at me, not the Jake I had watched deteriorate into a shell over the years since.

No, it couldn't be. That was just wishful thinking on my part. Lord, why could I still not let the past go, after it had been so long? Why was there that part of me that simply refused to move on?

Or . . . maybe it wasn't my imagination. There was something there . . . some tiny spark in Jake's eyes that I hadn't seen since . . .

I think Ronnie noticed, too. Maybe he didn't notice the difference in Jake, but he definitely noticed the difference in me. I caught him giving me his 'concerned' look.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"Nothing," he said. "I just noticed the way you were looking at Jake. And I wondered . . well, I wondered whether you still miss him."

I shut the TV off, right as they were moving to the next story. Something about an 'increase in reported Arn sightings.' The Arn were the new Bigfoot, these days. There were quite a few nutcases out there who still thought that the Arn weren't actually extinct, and tourists on the Hork-Bajir planet sometimes claim to have seen one. I paid the report no mind.

"I do," I answered Ronnie. "I miss the Jake I used to know. I think maybe I always will, deep down. But I need to accept that that Jake isn't coming back." I shook my head, telling myself to move on. Jake and I were over. Ancient history.

So then . . . why had I felt so elated to see him again? Why was I so relieved to know he was alive, when I had decided long ago that he must surely be dead?

Deeper down . . . that relief just barely masked the feelings of guilt and dread that haunted me whenever I thought about the war. Seeing Jake like that, whether it had been my imagination or not . . . that sight brought it all back. I shivered.

Why couldn't these feelings just let me go? Why couldn't my own memories just leave me alone? It had been four years. Four years since it had all ended. They say time heals all wounds. But I guess they're wrong.

Ronnie put his arm around my shoulders, trying to comfort me. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I can imagine how awkward you must feel when I start talking about Jake like that."

"It's okay, honey," he said, holding me closer. "I know I'm not Jake, but-"

"But you know what?" I interrupted him, finishing his sentence for him. "I think I'm okay with that." With that, I pulled him close, and I kissed him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 (Jake)

We were at the mall. All four of us. Ax was hanging around on earth for a little while before going off on another mission, Tobias had suddenly realized how much he missed human food after surviving for months on meat paste and rhinoceros steaks (long story, don't ask), and we had all come to see just how far apart we'd grown in those three years after the war. And Marco had taken it upon himself to decide he couldn't let the Animorphs drift apart like that, so, there we were.

I shifted a little in my seat at the food court. Somehow, just going out for a normal outing to the mall, didn't feel right anymore.

Okay, so maybe 'normal' wasn't quite the right word, what with Marco and my guards fending off the paparazzi while Marco's adoring fans screamed "Oh my GOD!!! It's him!!"

To tell the truth, the buzz did die down after a while, when everyone realized we weren't doing anything more interesting than sitting and eating, and we weren't going to talk to them no matter how much they pestered us. Still, we got plenty of attention from the odd passerby, that's for sure. Much more attention than I tended to like.

"Marco, why did we come here again?" I groaned.

"Come on, lighten up!" Marco said encouragingly, which only made me want to punch him. "Who knows, maybe you'll have a good time if you try."

"I ahm hafvim a guh hime!" Ax added, his voice muffled by the wad of food in his mouth.

"Of course _you're_ having a good time, you've got a face full of cinnamon buns," Tobias said.

"Yes, because it's so much fun to watch Ax eat," I said, letting my annoyance be known. "Can we go now?"

"Not yet," Marco said, trying to keep his voice even, although I knew he was getting annoyed too. "Just wait."

"Wait? Wait for what?" I asked suspiciously.

That's when I saw . . . _her_. She was weaving her way through the crowds towards us. Marco waved. She waved back, then saw me and looked down, pretending she hadn't.

"Marco, you invited Cassie?! What were you thinking?!" I hissed, trying to keep my voice low despite how angry I was.

"Calm down, dude," Marco hissed back. Then he grinned coyly. "What, don't you-"

"No, I don't," I snapped, before he could even finish.

Perhaps it was stupid that I was making such a big deal about this. It wasn't that I was angry at Marco. Or at Cassie. It was that, try as I might to deny it, even to myself, there was a part of me that had never quite let go of the dream that Cassie and I would one day be together.

And I hated that part of me.

Why was I being so stupid? Cassie didn't want me. She was with Ronnie, now. Why couldn't I just let the past go?

Cassie arrived at our table, looking fairly awkward. "Marco told me he wanted to meet with me," she explained. "He never said that the rest of you would, um, be here." She never looked at me, but I knew that I was the one she was referring to.

"What, no 'welcome back'?" Marco asked, pretending to be hurt. "No 'I'm glad you made it home from a totally impossible mission, somehow miraculously still alive'?"

"I am glad you made it back, Marco," Cassie said, then added, in a tone that was as close as I'd ever heard her come to sarcasm, "Whatever would we do without you?"

"It would be a miserable existence," Marco replied. "The world would be a humorless place."

Tobias got up. "Nachos, anyone?" he asked. Obviously eager to get away before things got any more awkward.

He ended up agreeing to get enough nachos for everyone. As soon as he was gone, Cassie pulled up a chair and sat down. I fidgeted, feeling trapped.

"Come on," Cassie said, sensing my discomfort, but still refusing to acknowledge me. "I know we haven't all been together as a group since . . . wow, since the end of the war." She seemed a little surprised, as though she hadn't thought it had really been that long ago. "But we can stay friends, right? What's wrong with hanging out now and then?"

Something told me she was just trying to hide how she really felt. That she didn't want to be there any more than I did.

"Nothing," I lied. "You just took some of us by surprise, that's all."

"Good," she said. There was a beat of awkward silence, before Cassie tried again to start a conversation. "So, I hear you guys just got back from some big rescue mission. Uh, care to fill me in?"

"Afraid I can't do that, miss," Marco said. "It's top-secret. Very hush-hush."

I rolled my eyes. "What Marco means is that nobody was _supposed_ to know about any of it. Which means, of course, that it's been all over the news for the past year now."

Cassie was about to reply when Tobias came back with the nachos. "Trust me, I know. I've been following the news," she said as she reached for a chip. "But they haven't said everything. What happened to you guys out there?"

"It was truly an epic tale of heroism, danger, psychotic bladed space Nazis, and daring feats of wit," Marco announced with a flourish as he began the story. "Just another day in the life of an Animorph."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 (Cassie)

It was just like the old days. Here we were, talking and joking and laughing, just like all these years had never passed. We were the Animorphs again. An inseparable team, ready to do anything for each other.

It made me feel absolutely awful about not going with them to help Ax.

After Marco finished his "epic tale," we started talking about other things. Random, small talk. But it brought back everything, seeing us talking like this, even if it was just about politics, or the latest crop of movies that the others had missed.

"No way, they made _another_ Animorphs movie?" Marco exclaimed excitedly. Then he looked confused. "Don't they even need our approval for that anymore?"

Slowly, ever so slowly, the conversation seemed to shift to more serious topics. We began to acknowledge our past. It had been four years, and somehow it still hurt to talk about it. But I guess we all realized that we had to talk about it, that it wouldn't go away on its own. That talking was a form of healing.

I think the latest mission had somehow prepared the others for this moment. As if their own adventure had suddenly made it all real again, and at the same time had made the truth of the war somehow less painful.

We talked about that first meeting with Elfangor, marveled at the fact that it was only seven years ago, when it felt like another lifetime. We talked about our early missions, about how we had no idea what we were doing or what we were up against, but we fought anyway.

We talked for a long time about things that could have been. What if Elfangor had picked a different group of kids to fight, and we'd led normal lives? What would that have been like? It seemed so strange to think about, and strange that it should seem so strange. Like we couldn't even imagine what it would mean to be normal anymore.

We talked for even longer about Rachel. The incredible person that she had been. We remembered the the bad times. Like when David revealed that Rachel had threatened his family, and none of us had known what to say. All the times it had become clear how much the war had affected her, changed her. All the times we were almost afraid of her, but afraid for her, too.

We remembered the good times. Like the dozens of times when we were facing impossible odds, and her courage seemed like the only thing keeping us going. Shopping at the mall. We remembered all the little, meaningless moments, that even after this many years, meant so very much.

I think I was crying. Jake, too. I knew Tobias would have been, but I wasn't sure he even remembered how anymore. We were all completely oblivious to the mall patrons who were still passing by, still stopping to gawk at us when they realized who we were. None of that existed right now. All that existed were our memories, the battles we'd won, the battles we'd lost. The friends we'd lost.

Rachel had been my best friend, long before the war. I'd known her longer than any of the others had, except Jake. We'd been best friends, despite our differences, since forever, it seemed. She'd always been there for me, and I for her.

And now, without her, there was a hole in my life.

Why hadn't I appreciated her more? I'd always just taken it for granted that she'd always be there. She was _Rachel_. She had to be immortal, because surely nothing could ever kill her.

But something had.

I blinked, slowly pulled out of my memories by an odd feeling. Even as distracted with my own thoughts as I was, I had noticed when all of a sudden something seemed off. Something about my body felt different, somehow. I blinked again, wiping the tears out of my eyes, trying to place the feeling, because I had the vague sense that it felt familiar. I didn't think I'd morphed . . . had I? I happened to look down at my hand, and got a shock. My hand was fair-skinned, with perfectly manicured nails. And it was strangely familiar. Oh, my God, it was . . .


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 (Tobias)

Rachel.

It was Rachel, sitting there where Cassie had been. She was right there! That long blonde hair, those fierce, reckless blue eyes . . . oh my God, it was really her! The shock of seeing someone so long dead, and my own deep desire to see Rachel again, kept me from immediately seeing the obvious explanation. Of course, once the shock finally wore off, I realized that it was too good to be true, and so of course it wasn't. No, of course Rachel wasn't somehow magically alive again. Cassie had only morphed by accident. _Stupid, stupid Tobias, don't you know by now not to wish for things you can't have?_

Everyone was silent for a while, as they each slowly realized the same obvious explanation that I had come to. We were all staring at Rachel/Cassie, which I'm sure must have made her uncomfortable. But I guess she was still too shaken up to try to demorph.

Jake finally broke the silence. "Cassie, you . . . you morphed Rachel? When did you acquire her?" He was trying to keep his expression and tone grave, but I could see the excitement in his eyes. They lit up with an energy I hadn't seen in him since . . . at least since Rachel died. I kept looking at him, trying to figure him out. What was he up to?

Cassie was still a little upset, I guess about all the memories of Rachel we had been reliving. And having everyone staring at her probably wasn't helping. I felt sorry for her. But she breathed a few sighs, getting a hold of herself enough to speak. "I don't really remember," she admitted, answering Jake's question in a voice that was so painfully familiar to all of us.

We all waited as Cassie paused for a moment, looking up at the ceiling as she tried to remember, closing her eyes every now and then. Then her face lit up as it came to her. "Wait! I remember now! Remember when Rachel was allergic to the crocodile morph . . . and then she had to go on that TV show? I morphed her as backup in case something went wrong."

Jake gasped, then tried to pretend he hadn't. But it was obvious that he'd realized something important. Marco looked over at him, having heard his gasp, and said, "Well, Jake? Do you have something to add? Why don't you share what you have to say with the rest of the class?"

Jake looked around, realizing he wasn't going to get out of this without telling everyone what he'd thought of, so he conceded with a sigh. He looked up, with that excitement in his eyes again, and said, "I was just thinking, you know, what if we could use Rachel's DNA to bring her back, somehow? Not through an allergic reaction, obviously, since that wouldn't . . . " He trailed off, looking uneasy. Because, suddenly, everyone wasn't staring at Cassie anymore. Everyone was now staring at Jake.

Cassie literally jumped out of her seat with excitement. "We could, we could! There's got to be a way! We have to try!"

Marco looked shocked, then his expression changed to a disapproving one. "Do you people even hear yourselves? We're talking about cloning, here! Nuh-uh. Best case scenario, we wind up with some freaky doppelganger of Rachel. We can't get the real Rachel back. It just isn't possible. I want Rachel back again as much as anyone, but we've got to be realistic."

Jake piped up again. "We should at least try! Won't it be worth the risk, if we really can get her back again somehow?" He looked distant for a second, and then added, "She deserves to see the end of the war. She deserves to see a world without Yeerks! A world for which she fought harder than any of us!" He pumped his fist for emphasis as he spoke.

Marco countered, "I'm not saying you're wrong. But don't you get it? Jake, you're talking about playing God! People live, and then they die. That's the way life is! You can't fight it, at least not without serious consequences. Rachel gave her life doing what she loved. For God's sake, let her be!"

Ax, who had been mostly silent throughout this conversation, spoke up. "I am afraid I must agree with Marco. It is not our place to deny Rachel her noble death. Not to mention that we would be in danger of approaching the Ellimist's caliber of meddling. And, unless I am quite mistaken, none of us wishes to emulate the Ellimist."

Cassie, having demorphed while the others were talking, looked thoughtful for a second, as if she might change her mind. But then she said, almost pleadingly, "It's not like this is the first time one of us has died. What about when Jake died, and we used the Time Matrix to bring him back? Marco, Ax, neither of you protested against that, did you?"

"That was different," Marco insisted. "That time, we were simply undoing his death. Making it as if he'd never died. We weren't creating an entirely new Jake from scratch." He turned to Cassie, his tone and expression accusing. "Cassie, I can't believe _you_ could approve of this. Don't you see why this is wrong? Why it's stupid to deny death? A long time ago, I think you would have. Once upon a time, you were so clear about right and wrong. Don't you remember? Back when you were the conscience of the Animorphs? And now . . . I, Marco the heartless, ruthless cunning Marco, am more sensitive than you."

I could tell that Marco's words had hit home. Cassie said nothing. She looked like she'd been slapped.

Jake rested his forehead in his hand, thinking. It was two for, and two against. He looked up, looked almost pleadingly at me, and said, "Tobias, what do you think?"

I was the deciding vote. But I had no idea what to think. I wanted so much to see Rachel again, and even the slimmest hope of bringing her back was enough to make me almost sick with eagerness. But Marco was right. What right did we have to play God? To take the risk of creating a warped doppelganger of Rachel? And what would we do if we did? Kill it? Who would take the horrible responsibility of dealing with such a creature?

Jake. Jake would, I realized. And then he would have another stain on his hands to add to all the lives he was responsible for already. That thought almost made me say no, right then and there. But then I suddenly understood why Jake was voting yes. Of course! He was trying to make up for Rachel's death, a mistake he had never forgiven himself for. He wanted to erase that horrible black stain on his conscience. Why else would he be so enthusiastic about the possibility of bringing her back, at any cost?

I think I understood Marco, too. He'd seen firsthand, with his mother as Visser One, how messy and complicated the issue of life and death could become. And he didn't want to go through that again with Rachel. He wanted to mourn, and then move on. He didn't want to get trapped in the uncertainty of whether or not she's really dead, just as he had with his mother.

Cassie and Ax's reactions, I probably could have predicted. On the one hand, there was Cassie, still trying to live by her belief that all life is sacred, even though her innate sense of right and wrong had been destroyed by the war. Not to mention that she was Rachel's best friend, and had taken her death almost as hard as I had. On the other hand, there was Ax, who, even after living so long with humans, was still an Andalite at heart. He was still guided by the Andalite ideals of honor and morality. Of course he'd be against any sort of manipulation of life on this scale. The notion of 'cheating death' like this must seem shamefully dishonorable to him.

But Jake had asked me what _I_ thought. And that was something I couldn't make sense of so easily.

As I tried to work out my own thoughts and feelings, I remembered something the Ellimist had asked me, a long time ago. 'Do _you_ know what you want, Tobias? And if you get it, will you still know?' And, just like before, I didn't know the answer. Did I really want Rachel alive again? Did I want to make her live in a world without war, a world in which she would never be able to fit in the way she had when she was fighting the Yeerks? But . . . that wasn't really fair, was it? Just because someone has nothing to live for, doesn't give them any less right to live. She would find something to live for. And what about me? Didn't I need something, some_one _to live for, too?

Then, a more important question struck me.

Shouldn't this decision be Rachel's?

"I . . . I vote yes," I said after what felt like a long time. "Rachel . . . Rachel would want us to try, I think. She would think it was worth the risk. Life is always worth the risk, isn't it?"

Marco looked angry at me. "She would want?! You want, Tobias. _You're_ the one who wants her back. Do you all realize what you're agreeing to, here? We're playing God! This is wrong! Rachel would never go along with this!"

Jake raised a hand to silence him. The decision had been made. Jake stood up, beginning to pace, thinking to himself. Then he stopped his pacing for a second to say out loud, "Now the question is, what do we do?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 (Marco)

I couldn't believe this. I felt like hitting Jake. And Cassie. Hell, even Tobias. How were they being this stupid? This naive? We couldn't get Rachel back. We'd been through this. Hadn't we?

Or, maybe we hadn't. Come to think of it, we really hadn't ever discussed the possibility of bringing Rachel back before now. That struck me as odd, for some reason. It wasn't like us, as Animorphs, to just take anything lying down. Ever. When Jake had died, we hadn't been about to stand for it. What was different now?

It was the end of the war, I realized. Those last few months of the war had taken all the fight out of us. We were done, after that. Done with everything. Done with war, done with Yeerks, done with fighting. Done with hoping against ridiculous hope. Just _done_.

Now, after we'd had three years to recover, our latest mission to save Ax had brought something back. An old spark. Our long lost sense of hope, the can-do attitude, the never-say-die stubborness that had kept us going through the war.

Unfortunately, justifying it to myself didn't make me any happier. I still wanted to kill Jake.

Fortunately, however, none of them could figure out a way to even try to bring Rachel back.

"Okay, well, we know that living DNA is fundamentally different from dead DNA. As evidenced by the fact that you can't acquire a corpse. Right?" Jake was saying, talking fast the way he does when his mind is working. "So, there's something about living DNA, something that's different. And living DNA is the kind that Cassie has. I mean, Rachel's DNA, in Cassie, must still be alive, somehow, right?"

"That is correct, Prince Jake," Ax began, unable to resist giving a science lesson. "Actually, because cellular processes and the genetic material are both so integral to one another, the DNA must be preserved in such a way that-"

"Yeah, Ax, that's great," I interrupted. "Whose side are you on, anyway? You're helping them now?"

Jake slammed his fist down on the table in front of me and growled, "Marco. We're doing this. We put it to a vote. Deal with it. Let Ax talk."

"The DNA must be preserved in such a way that it is completely static," Ax continued. "Frozen in micro-biostasis. Otherwise, if it is not allowed to replicate and behave naturally as it would within a living cell, it will degrade. When we morph, the morph DNA then takes over our cells, while our own DNA is temporarily inhibited."

Jake rubbed his temples, trying to interpret Ax-speak and at the same time trying to figure out how to use this new information. "Well, okay then. That means that, in a way, Rachel is still alive, sort of. At least her DNA is. But we need more than that. Ax, does DNA preserve the mind? We know that basic instincts are included, because when we morph, that's what we get. But are memories somewhere, anywhere in that DNA?"

"No," Ax said flatly. "Certain biological impulses have a genetic basis, but memories do not."

The discussion kept going for a little longer after that, but it was pretty pointless. The fact of the matter was, nobody knew where we might get a copy of Rachel's mind. I guess Jake had sort of assumed that, since DNA could retain the difference between 'dead' and 'alive,' it could also remember a person's thoughts and memories, somehow.

I just couldn't stop thinking that it was a good thing we'd had Rachel cremated, or these jerks might have been playing Frankenstein on her brain. Come to think of it, that was exactly what this entire situation reminded me of. Frankenstein. We were talking about making Franken-Rachel.

It was horrifying to me just to listen to them talking about it. And more horrifying that they actually thought they were being serious. But I took some solace in the knowledge that none of what they were talking about could possibly ever come to be.

The discussion of how to resurrect Rachel was thankfully cut off when Tobias and Ax realized they were both running dangerously low on their time in morph. So they peeled off to look for somewhere to demorph without attracting too much attention, and the rest of us, realizing that we had reached a dead end a while ago, decided that we might as well be going our separate ways, too. I had reporters to talk to, Cassie had her Hork-bajir to attend to, and Jake probably just wanted to be alone for a while to think about everything.

We said our goodbyes, not really expecting to see each other again for at least a solid year or two. These little get-togethers, while fun, weren't really practical for us anymore. We had separate lives, now.

With nothing left to fight, and nothing left to fight for, there was nothing left tying us together. I wasn't necessarily happy to admit it, but the Animorphs were as finished as the war that had necessitated us.

At least, that was what we all thought. Little did we know.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 (Shaliph 443)

I walked down a set of concrete stairs into the New Resistance's briefing room. It was a run-down basement in an abandoned building, the last place anyone would expect the Yeerk Empire to be making a comeback. But, of course, we had to hide our intentions. At least for now.

In the darkened room, packed with former Yeerks, I spotted Yenlin seven-hundred-and-five and Korash thirty-six. They were both long-time members of the New Resistance, and higher ranking than me. But we'd been friends forever, having known each other since our pool days.

Actually, we were somewhat more than just friends. Yeerks don't simply pair off in couples like humans. We reproduce in threes, and our romantic lives naturally follow the same pattern. Yenlin and Korash were my _desani_. Literally translated, my 'life-mates.'

If it weren't for the Yeerk-_nothlit_ act, I think that Yenlin, Korash and I would have one day given our lives together for the next generation.

But of course now that can never happen.

Korash's human morph was male, a late teenager, several years older than mine. He was tall and rugged-looking, with short black hair and a modest beard. His eyes were a soft hazel color, and even though we Yeerks rarely judge appearances, I knew he looked handsome.

Yenlin, on the other hand, had picked a very unconventional _nothlit_ form for a Yeerk. Outwardly, he was an Andalite. It had taken him a long time, but he had found the few unscrupulous Andalites that would be willing to let him acquire them (almost always at a steep price), and had created a mixed morph. He actually despised Andalites, and had trapped himself as one for no reason other than to provoke them, because he knew it would make so many of them furious. His Andalite form was male, but he looked fairly androgynous. His build was tall but slender, almost delicate. He had light blue-grey fur with a slight purple tint, spring-green eyes, and a long, thin tail.

I made my way over to the two of them, standing between them as we waited for the briefing to begin. Korash subtly hugged me, resting his arm around my shoulders, and Yenlin greeted me in private thought-speak, ((Welcome to the party, Shal.))

A Hork-Bajir soon appeared at the front of the room and began speaking to the crowd, briefing us about Project Legacy. The room immediately quieted, all of us listening carefully to what he had to say.

Actually, he only told us very little. We were simply informed that the first phase of Project Legacy was in progress, and we were to be sent to the Hork-Bajir home world to test a new technology that was being developed. The scientists working on the Project would also need protection in the event that their operation was discovered, so we would be armed with some of the best weaponry the Resistance had, in order to serve as guards. We would be given some of the latest model Dracon beams, bought on the black market.

"You will receive a more detailed briefing en route to your destination," the Hork-Bajir said gruffly. "We cannot give you more information at this time, due to the secrecy of this operation. Dissemination of any of this information is punishable by death," the Hork-Bajir continued, then glared around the room and added ominously, "Or worse."

He gave us a moment for the import of his threat to sink in, then opened a hidden door in the back wall of the basement. Motioning us to follow, he led us down a long flight of stairs. I didn't know how far underground we were, but, by the time we reached the bottom of the stairway, I guessed it must have been close to how deep the Yeerk pool had been buried.

Finally, we emerged into a larger room, where a single ship was housed. It was an Andalite passenger ship, big enough to hold at least a hundred plus crew. We boarded, filing two at a time through the ship's hatch, and finding seats among rows of chairs that had obviously been added on after the ship was built. Korash and I sat towards the back, near where there was an open area for Yenlin to stand.

We didn't have to wait long before the ship took off. We were able to watch out of side windows as the ship piloted through a long tunnel, and finally burst to the surface through a sliding door that had been hidden in an open field.

After we left the atmosphere and escaped into Zero-space, another superior officer, human this time, called for our attention. It was time for the second, more detailed briefing.

The technology that the Hork-Bajir had so vaguely referred to earlier was explained to be a mind-control device, designed after salvaged Arn technology and Yeerk physiology. The devices, code-named 'Nets' (which was actually an acronym for Neural Energy Transmitters), were nearly complete after three years of development, and would soon be ready for testing. It was estimated that each Net would allow control of up to a hundred subjects at once, depending on the mental strength of the user.

If these devices worked, the New Resistance could take back everything we had lost in one fell swoop.

The next stage of the Project would be to spread our forces, recruiting more Yeerks to use the Nets. Because of the nature of the technology, if there were any Yeerks left in their natural bodies, they could have an innate advantage in dealing with the mind-to-mind interface, theoretically being able to control _thousands_.

Once we had a sizeable force of these 'super-controllers,' as they were being called, we would declare war and take back all the planets the Andalites had taken from us, starting with the Hork-Bajir, spreading to our own home world, the Taxxon world, and earth. Even the Andalite home world might one day be within our reach!

Once we had control of the galaxy once more, we would force the Andalite scientists to find a way to reverse the _nothlit_ condition. Then we could be Yeerks again! Free to live our own lives, free from Andalite oppression!

And, best of all, because of our new technology, we would be more feared than ever before! We would be lords of the universe! The mighty Andalites would cower before us!

Nobody would dare to tell us that our way of life was wrong, ever again.

Yenlin smiled, the way Andalites do, with just his eyes. ((Well, well,)) he said smugly. ((Looks like the war isn't quite over, after all.))

Korash grinned back. Then he jumped out of his seat, too excited to sit still, and pumped his fist into the air, a gesture of triumph. Yenlin and I joined him, raising our fists in proud exultation.

"For freedom!" Korash proclaimed.

"For freedom!" I answered. ((For freedom!))


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 (Jake)

Life went back to normal for a while. I went back to teaching classes at Twenty-nine Palms. It was familiar, and that familiarity was comforting.

But at the same time, it was hard to go back there without thinking about Santorelli and Jeanne. None of the students ever asked me directly what had happened to them, but I could hear them talking about it when they thought I wasn't listening.

"-and he just _left_ them there."

"He did what? Well, you know there must have been a reason. He had to have had a good reason to leave them behind."

I guess I didn't know for certain that they were talking about me, but they would always fall mysteriously silent when I looked at them.

A few months after the get-together at the mall, I was certain that all the excitement of the past year was finally over. I was settling right back into old routines, moving on with my life. And life was fine.

On one particular evening, I was watching TV. Relaxing, after a long day of classes. Just an average evening, exactly like any other. It had been months now since we'd gotten back from Kelbri, and even the media had gotten tired of the story at this point. My life was, right then, about as normal as it got. Boring, even. But I welcomed the monotony. It was better than the alternative.

Then the doorbell rang.

I got up to answer it, wondering who it could be at this hour. I opened the door, and standing there was a man about my age. He looked familiar, but it took me a second or two to remember his face. When I did, I took a step back in disbelief.

"Erek?!" I exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in four years! You look so different!"

And he did look different, too. So much so that I'd barely recognized him. His hair was dramatically shorter, and he looked much older. Both just illusions of his hologram, of course.

He gave me a serious look, letting me know he wasn't here for chitchat. I guess he was still ticked at me for how I'd blackmailed him at the end of the war. With an android's perfect memory, I supposed it made sense that he would carry grudges for a long time.

"We have a problem," he said, immediately getting right down to business. "I don't have much information, but we know that, well, _something_ is happening on the Hork-Bajir home world. We think that the Yeerks are involved, but there's so much secrecy around the whole project that we can't even be sure."

"Okay. So?" I said, confused, and wondering how this concerned me. The Yeerks weren't my problem anymore, after all.

"So, the Andalites can't get involved. If this does involve Yeerks, any Andalite involvement will be interpreted as an act of aggression, and might provoke another war."

"Wait a minute," I said, ignoring the twinge of apprehension I was starting to feel. "I thought all the Yeerks were _nothlits_, now. Didn't they pass some law about that? What are you even worried about?"

"Just because they're _nothlits_, doesn't make them harmless. They may even be more dangerous now than before, with their dependence on Kandrona gone," Erek pointed out. "And the level of secrecy around this project of theirs is worrisome. They wouldn't be putting up this many firewalls if they were just trading spices. They might be up to something."

I rubbed my temples, already beginning to feel the weight of responsibility settling onto my shoulders. Great. I should have known that nothing good could ever last. I'd just begun to think everything was fine and normal again, and suddenly another problem lands on my doorstep.

Erek saw my dismay and said, "Look, Jake, I'm sorry for dumping this on you right now. Don't believe me if you want, but I really am sorry about this. You were the only one I could go to." He sighed, and continued, "I realize you probably don't like me, and, to tell the truth, I don't like you much either. But this may just go beyond either of us."

I sighed. "You're right, I don't like you much right now. But you're right about the last part, too. If the Yeerks are making some sort of comeback . . . " I let the thought hang. If the Yeerks were making a comeback, it was bad news for everybody.

But there was no reason to jump to conclusions. We only knew that the Yeerks were doing something, and that they were being extremely secretive about it.

Then again, they must be _really_ paranoid, if they'd set up enough security to stump Erek. The fact that the Chee couldn't hack it was far more worrisome than anything else Erek had told me.

"Do the Andalites know?" I asked.

"No," Erek answered. "Not unless they found out on their own."

I sighed again. I really didn't want to deal with this, but like Erek had said, there was nobody else to go to.

"Okay," I finally said. "Here's the plan."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 (Cassie)

I was at home, cooking dinner in the kitchen, when the phone rang. Ronnie picked up, listened for a second or two, then said it was for me. I turned down the burner and put the phone to my ear.

It was Jake. He said that Erek had contacted him yesterday, but he refused to tell me anything more than that over the phone. He told me to meet him in person as soon as I could. And to bring Tobias.

"How's two 'o clock tomorrow?" I asked.

"Can't. I'm teaching then. How about four?"

"Perfect," I said, and hung up the phone.

"What did he want?" Ronnie asked.

I shrugged, and said, "I guess I'll find out tomorrow."

The next day, at four 'o clock, I was at Jake's house, with Tobias in human morph standing awkwardly behind me. Jake invited us inside. We took seats in his living room while he stood in front of us, as if to deliver a speech.

Jake quickly summarized everything Erek had told him. Which wasn't a whole lot. Only that there was some sort of shady situation on the Hork-Bajir home world, and that the Yeerks were probably involved.

The catch was, that Jake didn't really want to go there in person. The leader of the Animorphs suddenly whisking away to the Hork-Bajir home world without an explanation would draw attention. Which would be particularly awkward if the whole thing turned out to be nothing.

But I could go. I was the liason for the Hork-Bajir anyway, so I could easily say that it was just part of my job. I could say I was doing research on the native population of Hork-Bajir. And Tobias could say he was using my trip as an excuse to pay a visit to Toby, who also happened to be visiting the Hork-Bajir home world.

"It would just be a spy mission, anyway," Jake pointed out. "You would just be checking things out. Infiltrate whatever the Yeerks are up to, and then, if it's something we should be worried about, Marco and I will come. I'm sure you two can handle it."

He made eye-contact with me, giving me a look that clearly said that he trusted me. That he understood that I knew what I was doing. I returned him a subtle smile, letting him know that I could handle this, that I would be fine.

I wondered, though, why he was acting like he trusted me now, when apparently he hadn't trusted me to come on the mission to rescue Ax. Was he really being sincere? Or was he only trying to inspire confidence in me, simply because he knew this mission needed to be me?

"I'll have to talk to Ronnie," I said. "He'd freak out if he knew what I was getting into, but I at least have to let him know I'll be gone."

"I'll go," Tobias said. "If there are Yeerks to be stopped, I'm there."

Jake nodded approvingly. "Okay. There's a civilian transport leaving for the Hork-Bajir home world tomorrow at noon. Marco agreed to pay for your tickets. He'll meet you at the Sacremento Interplanetary Airport at eleven thirty. Good luck, both of you."

We left. I headed home, while Tobias demorphed right there on Jake's porch and flew away.

I got back home to find Ronnie waiting for me.

"Well?" he asked.

Try as I might, I couldn't bring myself to lie to him. "Jake found out that something is happening on the Hork-Bajir home world, and he thinks Yeerks are involved. He wants Tobias and me to check it out, since we're the only ones who would have a good alibi if we're caught."

"And I take it you said yes," he said, looking almost disappointed.

"Of course," I answered.

"I don't suppose you'd let me come with you?" he asked hopefully, even though he knew what the answer would be.

I sighed, and gave him a hug. "No, dear. It's too dangerous for you. Trust me, I know what I'm doing." I pulled back a little, and wagged a finger in his face. "And don't even try to stop me. You know I have to do this."

He sighed, and pulled me back towards him. "I know. I'm just worried for you, Cass."

I should have been flattered that he was worried for me, but I wasn't. I felt hurt. Like he thought I couldn't take care of myself. There was the difference between Ronnie and Jake, I realized. Jake had known better than to worry.

"I know what I'm doing," I told Ronnie, trying not to sound offended. "I've done stuff like this a hundred times."

"Not while I've known you," he pointed out.

"Just trust me, then. Do you trust me?" I asked.

"Of course," he said. But he had paused for a second. Just long enough to let me know he had doubts about letting me go into danger.

He'd never known me as an Animorph before. To him, I was just a normal person. Well, as normal as you can be when you're famous for fighting in a war against alien invaders. But still, that was before. He hadn't known me back then.

Ronnie didn't know the real me. Jake did.

I suddenly recoiled from that train of thought. What was wrong with me? _I_ was the real me. Ronnie and I were together because we belonged together, because we were happy together, not because we knew everything about each other. I needed him, and he needed me, and that should have been all that mattered.

So why, then, was I fondly picturing that trusting, confident look in Jake's eyes?

"Cassie, are you alright?" Ronnie asked, sensing that something was wrong.

I tried to shake myself out of my thoughts. I couldn't go back to Jake. Why did I suddenly want to? I was over Jake, Jake was over me, but then suddenly the old spark returns and we're both the awkward lovers we always used to be? Why? What had happened?

Why was I risking ruining my perfect life for a dream that was long gone?

"I'm fine," I answered, careful not to look Ronnie in the eye, so that he wouldn't be able to tell that I was lying.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 (Tobias)

It felt like a long trip to the Hork-Bajir home world, even though it probably didn't actually take more than a day or two. There was nothing to look at besides the blank whiteness of Z-space, and nobody to talk to except Cassie. Of course, the loneliness didn't really bother me. Cassie, on the other hand, wasted no time in getting to know every single one of the other passengers, a small but motley group of Hork-Bajir and humans.

Cassie did spend some time talking to me. I didn't really care one way or the other, of course, but she seemed to appreciate anything that took her mind off the boredom of the trip.

I learned a little about Ronnie, the guy that Cassie is apparently seeing now. I had never really figured out why she and Jake hadn't been able to make it work. She'd told me that the war had changed him, that he wasn't the same as the boy she'd fallen in love with. I had the feeling that there was something else, something deeper than that between them. But I'm not Cassie. I can't really read people like that.

To tell the truth, the whole situation kind of made me frustrated with her. Here was Cassie, with a chance to be with the one she had always cared for and who had always cared for her for as long as I could remember, and then she goes off with someone else.

If I had gotten that chance with Rachel, the chance to be with her after the war . . .

But it was stupid to think about that now. I shouldn't be mad at Cassie for refusing to live the life I wished I'd had.

We talked about Cassie's experiences after the war, her progress with the Hork-Bajir. And there was another thing that I couldn't understand. How had Cassie managed to be so well-adjusted after the war, when Jake had completely fallen apart? If anyone should have been messed up after all the things we had seen and done, Cassie would have been my first bet. But there she was, still saving the world, as if nothing ever bothered her. How did she do it?

Cassie talked to me for parts of the trip, but most of the time, I spent by myself. With no prey to hunt, and no territory to protect, I had some time to think. Of course, during the boring stretches of our last mission, I had exhausted quite a few of the topics I would normally ponder. So I thought about Cassie. Thought about her and Ronnie, and wondered how she had managed to cope so well.

It was then that I realized what really bothered me about her. Why it was that she couldn't bear to be with Jake, why she needed Ronnie. I don't think I would have seen it if it weren't for the fact that it was almost the same thing _I_ had done after the war.

She had never dealt with her feelings about the war. She had simply run away.

Cassie had run away from the war. And Jake, well, Jake _was_ the war to her. Jake had represented all the terrible reality of their past, and in running from Jake, she had run away from everything.

Ronnie, I realized, was her shield from all that. He had never been part of the war, so he didn't remind her of all those terrible things she had seen and done. She could look into his eyes without seeing all that loss and pain. Pain which she herself could not bear to feel.

I guess once I came to realize all that, I had to forgive her in my mind. I knew as well as anyone how painful the past could be, and how tempting it was to just run away and hide. What I had done by living as a hawk, Cassie had done with Ronnie.

As I was thinking about Cassie, she caught me staring at her. "What?" she asked, rubbing her cheek like she thought maybe I had been staring at something on her face.

((Nothing,)) I said, quickly looking away. ((Just thinking.))

"About me?" Cassie asked.

((No,)) I lied. ((Just . . . never mind.))

She got the hint, and let it go. It didn't matter much, anyway, because we were finally coming out of Z-space. The ship turned to let us see the Hork-Bajir planet, which I was seeing now for only the second time. I gasped, impressed by the lush, green valleys contrasted against the utterly barren plains. There was much more green now than there had been when I'd seen the planet before.

As our ship made a descent into one of the valleys, I looked around at the newly-rebuilt platforms in the trees where Hork-Bajir were working and frolicking, the clusters of young saplings where the ground was bare of older and grander trees, the awful ugly scars in the ground where Yeerk pools used to be. All the signs of a planet slowly recovering from Yeerk domination.

And ironically, perhaps the source of an entirely new war.

Our ship maneuvered into a small clear spot that was obviously intended to accommodate spacecraft. We disembarked amid a crowd of passengers, waiting a while for them to disperse to whatever various tourist destinations they had come to see.

Jake had told us that the Yeerks would probably be in the Deep, an area that had been fairly abandoned ever since the extinction of the Arn. So that's where Cassie and I were headed first. We were just waiting to make sure nobody would follow us.

Once the landing area had cleared out, Cassie and I morphed to Hork-Bajir. We figured we could cover more ground that way, and plus we didn't want to draw any more attention than we had to. Once we'd finished morphing, we took to the trees, climbing easily up the bark like giant reptilian squirrels. We swung swiftly from branch to branch, the trees blurring by as we bounded through the forest.

We were moving downward almost as fast as we moved forward. It was dizzying, flying from tree to tree towards that precipitous drop, the blue fog of the Deep getting ever closer below us.

Soon, the trees gave way to smaller plants, and we had to walk the rest of the way. We trekked through the fog, half-expecting to be ambushed at any moment, even though we knew the Deep was supposed to be empty.

We demorphed at some point, as our morph time began to run low. Cassie kept walking, while I flew. Normally I'd be worried about flying when I could hardly see, but I figured there was nothing here for me to run into. Flying was weird, though. The air felt thicker, almost like I was flying through a liquid.

Eventually, the fog began to lift. As it did, I thought I saw a small figure. But the mist was still too thick to see what it was. Whatever or whoever it was, it saw us too, and quickly fled.

((Hey, wait,)) I yelled, flying after it. It ran clumsily, no match for my speed. I caught up to it easily.

But when I did, I didn't quite believe what I was seeing. The creature before me had two arms, four legs, two stubby wings, glittering eyes, and bright yellow-orange feathers covering its body.

It was an Arn.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10 (Ax)

I did not spend long on earth after our return from Kelbri. I spent a few weeks 'hanging out' with my human friends and eating delicious earth foods. But eventually I was forced to return to my duties as an Andalite Prince.

I took a new fighter, and once again flew away from earth. Back to my birth people, back to chains of command, orders, rituals, codes of honor.

I stayed with my family for a while. With the Blade Ship no longer posing a threat, there were no more missions for me. Even as a prince, I was nothing more than a figurehead, now. Most of the Andalite high command had been reduced to redundancy.

It was not the case, however, that there was nothing else that I could be doing instead. After being captured by the Kelbrid, I was suddenly the leading Andalite expert on not one, but two alien species. As such, I was considered a potentially important asset to the diplomatic attempts that were now being made at settling the differences between Kelbrid and Andalites.

However, I turned down all the offers for such a position. I tried to explain why such attempts were futile. But many other Andalites thought that if trade could be established between our races, the results would be beneficial to both. Perhaps they were right, in a way, but in any case, I knew it would take a long time to reach any sort of understanding.

For months, no other orders came for me. So I had nothing to do except go back to the home world, back to the scoop where I hadn't lived since I was a child.

But at least it was nice to see my parents again. It was good to go back to a place where I wasn't a prince anymore, where I was just my father's little Aximili-kala. Of course, I would be lying if I said it was like being a child again. It would never be.

Still, it was good to taste the grass of home.

One day, almost two months after I had left earth, I was running across the fields, feeling the soft and succulent grass crunch under my hooves. A normal evening.

I saw my father from a distance and slowed my run, raising a hand in greeting. He returned the gesture.

((News for you, Aximili-kala,)) he said, holding up a communications reception device.

I was expecting another offer for a diplomat position, but I was surprised to hear my father say that the message was from War-prince Galuit-Enilon-Esgarrouth. I had first met Galuit before he had been promoted to war-prince, during the battle for Leera. I had heard stories of how he had continued resisting the Yeerks in many battles since then.

I opened the message interface on the device my father handed to me. It was a recorded message, not a direct communication.

((Prince Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil,)) Galuit began respectfully. ((You have more experience waging guerrilla warfare than any other living Andalite. It is because of this, not because of your admittedly commendable leadership as prince, that I am calling on you. We need someone who can fight without being seen or heard. We have a situation. You are needed on the Hork-Bajir home world.))

* * *

Apologies for the short chapter. The next ones will be longer, I promise. And twice the apologies to Ax-fans. He kinda got gypped in this whole story. Not on purpose of course, since he's my second-favorite character, but that's just sort of the way it happened.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 (Cassie)

As we marched down into the Deep, Tobias flew off into the fog, out of my sight. A few moments later, he called back. ((Cassie?)) he said, sounding slightly shaken. ((I think I just saw an Arn.))

"What? Alive? But, but, how can that be?" I stuttered, my voice taking on an eerie flatness because of the thick air.

((I'm not trying to explain it,)) Tobias said, sounding just as incredulous as I felt. ((I'm only telling you what I saw.))

"Well, where is it now?" I asked.

((I don't know. I lost sight of it for just a second, and then it was gone.))

I sighed. "Well, maybe this air is playing tricks on your mind."

((I know I saw it, Cassie. Hawk eyes don't lie,)) he said, then fell suddenly silent. I thought I saw him fly over me, and then he shouted, ((Cassie! Behind you!))

I turned. And there it was. There was no mistaking that four-legged, winged build, the glittering eyes, the gaudy color.

"Explain yourself," I demanded before it could try to run off again. "Why aren't you extinct?"

But the Arn apparently didn't want to stick around and chat. It immediately took off again, and quickly disappeared again in the thick mist. I gave chase, but I couldn't see what I was chasing.

"Get back here, you little-" I grunted as I ran.

I heard a high-pitched cry, followed by Tobias exclaiming, ((Ha, I got 'im! Right in the leg! Okay, now I'm acquiring him to make sure he doesn't go anywhere. Hurry up, Cassie!))

I ran towards where the two of them should be, and found a sleepy-eyed Arn with Tobias digging his talons into its left rear leg. I grabbed the Arn by the neck, and Tobias flapped away and began to morph to Hork-Bajir.

The Arn came out of the acquiring trance with a panicked look in his eyes. "I don't want any trouble, just let me go!" he begged.

"Not until you tell us why you aren't dead," I said, as menacingly as I could.

"Nobody was supposed to know!" the Arn moaned. "They'll kill me if anyone finds out!"

"Why? What's the big secret?" I asked. "Tell me!" I shouted after the Arn kept silent.

((A guy by the name of Quafijinivon once told us he was the last Arn,)) Tobias pointed out. ((Now, why might that not be right?))

"You _knew_ him?" the Arn asked, surprised and possibly a little awed. "Quafijinivon wasn't lying. Although heaven knows how he actually _knew_ that fact." Then the Arn looked abashed, like he had revealed more than he meant to.

"He also told us he had something like two years left to live," I said, straining to remember that mission. "That was at least five years ago."

To my surprise, the Arn made a nervous chittering noise. I think maybe he was laughing. "On that point, he _did_ lie to you. Did you actually fall for that? Do you not know how impossible it is to predict when one will die? It is like trying to predict which way the wind will blow. It cannot be done. Even with Arn technology."

I tried to hide my growing annoyance. "That's entirely beside the point. The point is that he was the last Arn, and he was dying. So how are you here?"

Tobias was fully Hork-Bajir at this point, and the Arn kept casting panicked glances in his direction. He gulped and glanced down at my hands still around his neck, looking for a way out but knowing he had no choice except to answer our questions.

Finally, the Arn gave a nervous sigh, and said, "You have to promise me. Promise me they won't know! You can't tell anyone, you can't act on this information, you can't do anything that might lead _them_ back to me."

((We promise,)) Tobias instantly said.

"Quafijinivon's motives were, shall we say, less altruistic than he may have led most people to believe," the Arn began.

((Huge surprise,)) Tobias snorted derisively.

"You know that he created a force of Hork-Bajir to drive the Yeerks off of this planet, correct? I believe his story was that he was doing this to give the Hork-Bajir a shot at revenge. This was not . . . entirely correct. Rather, he did it to give himself more time," the Arn said carefully, obviously stalling, as if he were still worried about revealing too much.

((More time for what?)) Tobias pressed.

"He was . . . there was . . . the backup plan," the Arn stuttered. "We had prepared for the eventuality of our own extinction, of course. We had kept an extensive bank of Arn DNA for decades before the Yeerks even came to this planet. What Quafijinivon wanted was a distraction. So that he could re-create his kind."

I gasped, shocked and maybe even a little sickened. But I should have guessed this. The Arn cared nothing for anything but their own survival. I should have known that they would have seen their end coming, and would have been ready to do something about it.

"Can you let me go now?" the Arn pleaded.

"Not so fast," I said. "You still haven't told us why all the secrecy. Why do you want to keep everyone thinking that you're still extinct?"

"That, I can't tell you," he said anxiously. "What they'll do to me if I tell you that is _worse_ than death!"

I looked at Tobias. He nodded, and I released my grip on the Arn. He had told us enough. We would have to figure the rest out on our own. The Arn, grateful that we were letting him go, quickly disappeared into the mist.

* * *

Hooray, I'm actually getting reviews on this fic again! Thanks, you guys!

Atlastme: Thank you. But sorry, I've seen enough fics where the Ellimist brings Rachel back, I don't want mine to be the million-and-first. I'm hoping you'll like what I have in mind instead, though. ;)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 (Rachel)

I awoke to find myself lying on a cold surface, even though I couldn't remember falling asleep. I opened my eyes, and the moment I did, I knew something was wrong.

I jumped to my feet, adrenaline pumping, immediately ready for a fight, before I realized that it was . . . _me_, that felt wrong. My body . . . felt different than it should have.

I looked down at myself, and was shocked when I saw reptilian skin and vicious blades.

I was a Hork-Bajir! But how?

Then, a terrifying thought occurred to me. How long had I been in morph?! Biting down the sudden knife edge of panic, I focused on my human form.

I concentrated for a long time. Nothing happened.

((NOOO!)) I screamed, more furious now than scared. How dare I be stuck in morph when I'd had no control! It wasn't fair! What was going on?!

((Ahh! Not scream so loud, voice in head!)) another voice complained. What in the . . .

It was then that I noticed the _other_ thing that was horribly wrong when I woke up. I could feel the presence of another consciousness within my mind. Inside my own head!

((Yeerk!)) I screamed, fury and panic building. ((Get out of me! Get OUT!))

((Is not Yeerk!)) the other voice said fearfully. ((Nenan is Hork-Bajir!))

I calmed down a little, and thought about this for a second. Trying to piece together what was going on, but getting nowhere. ((Am . . . I a Yeerk?)) I asked cautiously.

((Not Yeerk, either. Is bottle-spirit.))

((I'm what?)) I asked, getting more and more confused.

((Bottle-spirit,)) Nenan replied simply, like he thought I was being thick. ((Arn have bottle, says lots words, bottle-spirit come out.))

That took a moment to process. But when I finally pieced it all together, I was even more furious than I had been before.

((I'm an _Ixcila_?!)) I demanded, outraged.

((That what Nenan _said_,)) the Hork-Bajir replied, amused. ((Is bottle-spirit. You slow.))

I looked around through Nenan's eyes, taking in my surroundings. Looking for someone who would explain what was going on. Preferably, whoever or _what_ever had summoned my _Ixcila_.

I was mad, and I needed something to take my anger out on.

I was in what appeared to be a cell, of some sort. The walls and ceiling were stone, but there were two walls that were made of a faint blue, nearly transparent barrier that I was guessing was a force field.

And on the other side of that force field was a sandy-tan-colored creature with four legs, stubby wings, and glittering eyes. An Arn.

"I want an explanation, right now, Arn!" I yelled at him. Or possibly her. I couldn't tell the difference.

"First, answer my questions," the Arn said, completely unfazed by my outburst. Definitely a 'her,' judging by voice. "Who are you?" she asked. From her annoyed tone, I guessed that she had already asked that same question several times already.

"You don't even know who I am?" I said, taken aback by the notion that the Arn who had summoned me didn't know who I was. But I shook off the surprise and went right back to being angry. "The name's Rachel, and I'm going to-" I paused mid-threat, however, when I realized yet _another_ thing that wasn't right here. "Hey wait a minute. Quafijinivon said he was the last Arn. What are you even doing here?"

The Arn, however, had given me a funny look when I said my name was Rachel. "Rachel . . . isn't that a human name?" she said, almost as if talking to herself. "What was a human _Ixcila_ doing in Quafijinivon's-" She stopped, then the look on her face changed to shock. "Rachel was the name of one of the Animorphs!" she said, awestruck. "Are you . . . ?"

"So now you know who I am," I said, quickly beginning to lose my last shred of patience. It figured that Quafijinivon would spill the secret of our identities to his Arn buddies, and that only served to make me more angry. "Now tell me who the hell you are."

"I am Quahyliera. I inherited a small portion of the great Quafijinivon's possessions when he died. Including an _Ixcila_. I . . . I did not know whose it was."

"Okay, next question. Why are you alive?" I demanded.

"It was all part of the great Quafijinivon's plan. He created a force of Hork-Bajir to hold off the Yeerks while he finished his work on resurrecting the Arn. We had always kept a vast library of Arn DNA, in case of our own extinction."

I narrowed my eyes. "This doesn't make sense. None of it does. You're talking like Quafijinivon is long-since dead, and I just talked to him yesterday. And how did he work so fast? And why didn't you guys wait just a little longer before revealing your comeback? Until the Yeerks are defeated, at least! I mean, what's the point of coming back from extinction, only to go extinct a second time? It doesn't make sense."

The Arn cleared her throat. "Do not forget that you are an _Ixcila_. Many years have passed since your mental data were harvested, and so you remember things from 'yesterday' which in fact occurred much, much longer ago. Quafijinivon died four years ago. He died shortly after the Yeerks were defeated on earth."

I rocked back. "The Yeerks were defeated? We . . . we won?" I couldn't believe it. We'd won! The war was over!

What else had I missed?

While I was thinking about everything I had just learned, I felt Nenan trying to wrest back control of his body from me. For now, at least, I supposed I could let him have it. It wasn't like there was anything I needed to do in this cell.

"Thank you," he said through our shared mouth. Then he hesitated for a second, as if he wanted to say something, but not quite sure if he should. I could literally feel his anxiety.

"Rachel?" he asked uncertainly. "Bottle-spirit ask what missed. Nenan remember. Bottle-spirit . . . " Nenan closed his eyes briefly in respectful sadness before going on.

"Rachel was Animorph who die."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 (Tobias)

Cassie and I both knew that if we were going to investigate whatever was going on here, one of us needed to morph something that would fit in. And as it just so happened, I was now equipped with an Arn morph.

I focused on the Arn. My beak softened and filled with tiny teeth. My wings shortened and widened. Two elongated arms emerged from my sides. My feathers changed shape slightly, and changed color to the Arn's bright orange. Each of my legs split into two, and my talons softened and disappeared. I grew, but not by much. An Arn is only about twice the size of a hawk.

Cassie morphed flea and hopped on my back, and we set off.

We reached the bottom of the valley, and looked down into the chasm where the Arn dwellings should have been. But all we saw were bare, stone cliffs.

I headed in a direction along the chasm, and after a while, we ran into one of the Arn wall-cities. Yet, the cavernous rooms and stone walkways still looked utterly abandoned.

I headed down the stairs into the chasm to make sure. I explored for a while, but never saw anyone. The dust on every surface spoke of years of abandonment, except for one tiny set of footprints in the dust. I tried to follow the trail, but it only led back up the chasm wall and out of the city. I dismissed it. Those were probably just my own footprints I was looking at. The tracks were even the same size as my own.

Finding this abandoned city shouldn't have come as a surprise. We shouldn't have expected the very first Arn city we came across to be populated.

I headed back up the chasm, back into the valley above. I continued to follow the chasm along its length, looking down into the gaping canyon to see long stretches of bare stone walls, punctuated only by scarce, forlorn Arn settlements. A few of the dwellings showed fearsome burn scars and missing pieces, the signs of battles long-since over.

I had to check out several more Arn ghost towns before we finally found one that showed signs of life. I was walking along a stony walkway when I saw a glimpse of bright blue. It stopped when it saw me, and I could see it was another Arn.

"Quanisidaron!" he said. "There you are! We were worried. What were you doing outside the holograms?"

Great. The Arn I'd morphed had a name I would never remember. "I'm fine," I answered. "I was just going out for supplies," I said, hoping that was a proper response.

"Whatever it was, you should have asked a Yeerk to get it for you," the Arn scolded me. I nearly jumped in surprise at the mention of the word Yeerk.

So, whatever was going on with the Arn also involved the Yeerks. This was good. We were definitely getting somewhere.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want them to know about this. It's kind of personal," I said, digging myself further into my lie.

"Whatever," the Arn shrugged. "I don't really care. Just please don't do it again. You're going to get us all killed one of these days."

((What's going on?)) Cassie asked. ((I feel vibrations. Who are you talking to out there?))

((We found an Arn,)) I said. ((It seems that whatever the Arn are up to, the Yeerks are involved, too.))

((Can you get more information?)) she asked.

((I can try,)) I said.

The bright blue Arn told me to get back behind the holograms, so I just followed him to wherever I figured I was supposed to go. He led me into one of the gigantic open caverns that was carved into the chasm wall. The room looked empty, but when I crossed the threshold, rows of machines and crowds of Arn operating them suddenly appeared.

Not just Arn, though. There were Hork-Bajir, humans, a few species I didn't recognize, and a single, very effeminate-looking male Andalite. These non-Arn individuals were just standing around, watching the Arn as they worked at their machines. They all carried an air of superiority, like overlords surveying their subjects for anything they didn't like.

A sandy-tan colored Arn came up to the bright blue one. She looked excited about something. She shot a glance at me, like she wasn't sure if she trusted me to hear what she was about to say, but she decided to ignore me.

"I have excellent news! I found a bargaining chip I think we can use with the Yeerks!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

"Oh?" the bright blue Arn said, immediately lowering his voice, as if afraid that he might be overheard. "What did you find?"

"It used to belong to Quafijinivon," the tan Arn beamed. She paused, almost as if for dramatic effect, and continued. "I found the _Ixcila_ of Rachel Berenson."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 (Shaliph 443)

When we arrived on the Hork-Bajir planet, we touched down in the former territory of the Arn, below the blue fog of what the Hork-Bajir called 'the Deep.' I wasn't sure why we would be going down there, until we were brought into one of the Arn dwellings.

We walked through a hologram, and there, ambling all around the cavern, there were Arn! But how? They were supposed to be extinct, weren't they?

"Nobody told us there would be Arn here. What's going on?" Korash asked the nearest Hork-Bajir sentry.

Yenlin, who was following close to Korash and me, was immediately given a suspicious glare by the sentry. ((Do you have a problem?)) Yenlin asked, twitching his tail. The Hork-Bajir shook his head, apparently deciding that Yenlin was wasn't worth antagonizing.

"It seems they had a plan to re-create their race shortly before their extinction," he answered Korash. "Which worked out well for us. They're easy to intimidate, and they've proved invaluable to our Project. There are a few things they're good at. It turns out designing mind control technology is one of those things. Smart as we are, I don't think our scientists could have ever designed the Nets on their own. So we've got these guys working on that," the Hork-Bajir bragged.

"And if they slack off, or look like they're doing anything they shouldn't be, just use your Dracon on 'em, remind 'em who's boss." Then he added, as an afterthought, "Use a low setting, though. They die easy."

A couple of Arn were listening in on our conversation. I narrowed my eyes at them, and they got back to work.

"Cool," Korash said. "So when are we going to try testing the Nets?"

"I think we'll be briefed on how to use them tomorrow. I hear it takes some practice," the Hork-Bajir said.

I grinned and said, "I can't wait!"

"Yeah, well, be a little patient," the Hork-Bajir said. "For now, our job is just watching these Arn." He pointed at a bright yellow-orange one that had just arrived. "Keep an extra close eye on that orange one," he said. "He's young, and a trouble-maker. He keeps wandering off."

I looked at the orange Arn. He was currently listening in on a conversation between a sandy-tan colored Arn and a bright blue one. The orange Arn suddenly looked shocked by something the other two had said, and said something to the tan one. Pretty soon, the orange one and the tan one left the room.

"Shouldn't we go after them?" I asked the Hork-Bajir. The orange Arn glanced nervously at our group as he left, and Yenlin met him with a hostile glare from all four eyes.

"Nah, waste of time. The tan one will keep the trouble-maker in check," the Hork-Bajir said. "Trust me, it's just as effective to punish him after he gets back, and it's so much easier that way."

A few more minutes passed, and a faint whistle blew. "Well, my shift is over," the Hork-Bajir said. "Good luck, you three."

He left. It was pretty boring, after that. The Arn didn't really step out of line much, so there was hardly anything to do. Yenlin taunted them at first, but that got old pretty quick. Hard to taunt someone who won't defend themselves.

After a few hours, the orange Arn came back, but the tan one wasn't with him.

((I'll handle him,)) Yenlin said happily. Korash had already started to move towards the Arn, but stepped back again, conceeding to Yenlin the honor of punishing the creature.

((Explain yourself,)) Yenlin demanded. ((Where have you been?))

"I- I was just gathering supplies," the orange one said.

((Nonsense,)) Yenlin said. ((We've provided everything you need. Answer truthfully this time.)) He adjusted his Dracon beam to the lowest setting and shot the Arn.

"Aahhh!" he screamed, doubling over in pain. "What do you want from me?!"

((The truth. We've given you everything you could possibly need to work. What were you really doing outside the hologram, Arn?))

"I was . . . I was exploring. I thought if I could find something in one of the abandoned cities, we could work faster," he said, almost questioningly, as if afraid that might be the wrong answer.

((I admire your guts, kid. You're brave, if you think you can get away with lying to a Yeerk twice.)) Yenlin shot the Arn again. ((Now, one last time. What. Were. You. Doing?))

"Nothing!" the Arn yelled, getting defensive now. "Please, just leave me alone!"

((The moment you tell me the truth, I will leave you alone,)) Yenlin promised. Then he shot him right in the chest.

The Arn started to back up, looking like he was getting ready to run. Big mistake. Faster than he could blink, there was a tail blade at his throat.

((This is interesting,)) Yenlin commented. ((You're hiding something. What do you have to hide, Arn?))

"Alright," the Arn said finally. "Look. The reason I lied is because I didn't think you'd believe the truth, anyway. Not sure I believe it. Maybe I'm crazy." The Arn shook his head anxiously, seeming embarrassed by what he had to say. "The truth is, I'm not really sure what I was doing outside the hologram, either. It's . . . well, it was really strange. I was just walking along, and suddenly there I was, miles away, with no idea how I got there. I guess . . . maybe I was sleepwalking, or something. And I got lost." The Arn sighed, and finished. "Anyway, that's why I've been gone for such a long time. I'm sorry. Please, believe me."

Yenlin seemed to smile with his eyes. ((Sleepwalking. Heh, is that all? Fine, you can go,)) he said dismissively. But then he looked like something the Arn had said suddenly bothered him, as though he hadn't been paying attention until a few seconds after he said it. ((You've been gone a long time, have you? So you weren't in here just a couple hours ago?))

The Arn looked bewildered.

"No. Why?"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 (Tobias)

I felt like I'd just grabbed onto an electric wire when I heard the tan Arn's words. I'm pretty sure I actually jumped.

Rachel was alive!

"Where? How?" I stuttered, incredulous. The first pang of shock was wearing off, and more vivid emotions were surfacing now. Intense joy, sadness, regret, bittersweet nostalgia, excitement, all-but-forgotten love. All at once.

The other two Arn looked strangely at me. "Quanisidaron? Are you feeling alright?" the blue one asked.

"No, I'm not. Please, just take me to Rachel. I'll . . . explain later," I managed to say.

Both Arn looked uncertain, but after a moment's hesitation the tan one began to lead the way towards the exit of the cavern. I eagerly followed. A group of two humans and the Andalite I'd noticed earlier were all watching me suspiciously, but a Hork-Bajir said something to them and they seemed to calm down.

I followed the tan Arn up the walkway and out of the city. We walked along the edge of the chasm for a while, before arriving at another deserted Arn ghost town. The Arn led me down into one of the rooms, where I could see a faint blue glow. After my eyes adjusted to the low light, I saw that the glow was from a force-field, inside which was a Hork-Bajir.

"Okay, there she is. Now tell me, what's gotten into you? You aren't acting yourself. Hmph. Not that I'm complaining, of course," the tan Arn said with distaste.

I ignored her. I walked, as fast as Arn legs could carry me, straight towards the Hork-Bajir. "Rachel?" I called out nervously.

"Yeah?" the Hork-Bajir said defiantly. "What do _you_ want?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying not to cry. Yes, that was Rachel, alright. I would know that sarcastic, defiant tone anywhere.

"It's me! I'm Tobias!" I yelled, my Arn voice cracking.

The tan Arn rounded on me. "You're who?" she said angrily. "I want an explanation, right now!"

"Tobias!" Rachel exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" Then she narrowed her eyes at me. "Are you really Tobias? Or is this some sort of trick?"

I began to demorph. Rachel gasped. The tan Arn screamed. "Who are you, and what have you done with Quanisidaron?!" she said.

((What's going on?!)) Cassie demanded. ((Why are you demorphing?))

((Relax,)) I said to the Arn. ((I only morphed him. I'm sure he's fine.))

To Cassie, I said, ((Long story. Can't talk now. I'll fill you in later.)) I'm not sure why I didn't at least mention Rachel to Cassie. I guess maybe I wanted those first few moments with her to be mine alone. In any case, Cassie didn't say anything more.

"You're . . . an Animorph?" the tan Arn said, sounding scared. _And she should be_, I thought, _after what she said about using Rachel to bargain with the Yeerks_.

But then her look changed to one of excitement. "You can help us!" she said happily, her eyes sparkling with hope. After a moment, she composed herself again, cleared her throat, and said, "How about this. I'll give you Rachel if you help free my people from the Yeerks."

"I'm not a bargaining chip, Arn," Rachel growled.

((How dare you!)) I demanded, furious. ((She's a human being!))

The Arn only shrugged. "Semantics," she said. "We Arn are beings, too. Do you or do you not accept my proposal?"

Once my anger at the insolence of the Arn subsided a little, I quickly realized that, my own resentment notwithstanding, this arrangement might actually be a good thing for everyone concerned. We had come here to stop the Yeerks, after all. So there was no reason why we shouldn't get Rachel back at the same time.

Before I said anything, I looked to Rachel for approval. After a moment or two, she grudgingly nodded. She obviously wasn't happy about this, but she'd seen the same logic that I had.

((You've got yourself a deal,)) I told the Arn. ((Now, what's this about the Yeerks?))

"They're using us as slaves," the Arn said. "They're forcing us to design mind-control devices for them, which they plan to use to begin a new takeover."

((Mind control!)) I exclaimed. ((No wonder they wanted to keep this a secret. What else? Do you know where the devices are being kept?))

"The actual devices are hardly important," the Arn said dismissively. "What's important are the blueprints. They've got copies of the designs in the Arn city, and then backed up on a computer in one of their Blade Ships. You'd have to destroy both, as well as any actual devices."

((Sounds easy enough,)) I said.

"And beyond that," the Arn continued. "I need you to get word out about what's happened here, or the Yeerks will simply keep doing what they're doing, and force us to re-create the devices again."

((If word gets out about this, things could very easily spiral out of control,)) I said hesitantly. ((The Andalites might retaliate, and could start a new war.))

"I don't care!" the Arn raged suddenly. "This can't go on! My people are dying! The Yeerks have to be stopped!"

((Calm down. We can stop them on our own,)) I said.

"How?" the Arn asked.

((We've stopped the Yeerks before, we can do it again,)) I said simply.

The Arn pondered that for a moment. "Alright," she said at length. "But if your plan doesn't work, I want to make sure that the authorities find out about this. Tell someone else, some neutral third party, exactly what I've told you, and make sure they know that if you die, they need to contact the Andalite high command."

((I don't think-)) I began.

"That's part of the deal. Do it, or Rachel goes back in the bottle."

Rachel growled, and I glared at the Arn. But the Arn was holding the keys, and she knew it.

((Fine,)) I grudgingly said. ((But we _won't_ die.))

Rachel looked down at me, a sudden look of worry in her Hork-Bajir eyes.

"Easy for you to say."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 (Cassie)

I don't get angry easily, but, as I sat on Tobias's back as a flea, practically blind and deaf, I had to admit I was getting frustrated with him. He hadn't given me much information on anything that was going on while I was stuck as a flea on his back. And now he'd demorphed, but he wouldn't tell me why. I had no idea what was going on out there.

I was just about to hop off and demorph myself when Tobias finally said, ((Okay, Cassie. Sorry for putting you on hold. I was dealing with important things, trust me.))

((What was so important that you wouldn't tell me anything?)) I asked.

((Cassie?)) Tobias said. He had something important to tell me, but he was stalling. (( . . . Rachel's here,)) he said at length.

((WHAT?)) I stammered, incredulous. ((She's alive? What, how? Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?)) Immediately, I jumped off Tobias's back and demorphed at maximum speed.

As soon as my eyes came back, I saw Tobias and a tan-colored Arn on one side of a force field, and a Hork-Bajir separated from the three of us on the other. "Where's Rachel?" I asked, confused.

"Here," said the Hork-Bajir. I looked at her, startled.

"Prove it," I finally said, disappointed. This was just a trick. Had to be. "Demorph."

"Can't," the Hork-Bajir said sadly. "This isn't a morph. Or did Tobias not tell you? I'm an _Ixcila_."

My breath caught in my throat. Oh god. It might really be her! It was at least possible to believe that Rachel's _Ixcila_ was still alive.

"Before you ask," she said, holding up a finger to silence me. "My favorite food is Szechuan shrimp, my middle name is Jessica, I have a birthmark on my right hip that looks like the number seven, my favorite flavor of ice cream is Ben and Jerry's cherry garcia, and my worst experience as an Animorph was what we did to David. Still don't think it's me?"

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to hug her, but when I reached for her, my hand only touched the force field.

"Rachel . . . " I said, my voice tinged with sadness. I pressed my hand against the force field, and Rachel did the same, her hand mirroring mine.

"Can't you let her out?" I asked the Arn.

"No. Please don't take offense, but I have no reason to trust any of you. And I'm not stupid."

I clenched my fists. But then I took a deep breath, and let it go. Getting angry would only make the situation worse.

Calming down, I said, "That's fine. We haven't done much to gain your trust yet." Right then, it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't even introduced myself. "I'm Cassie," I told the Arn.

"Quahyliera. Pleased to meet you," she said.

"Yeah. You too," I answered. Rachel rolled her eyes, obviously thinking I was being way too polite.

"So, what else should I know about the situation?" I asked, giving Tobias a brief glare.

"My people are being forced by the Yeerks to develop mind-control devices for their next attempt at a take-over. I will give Rachel to you in exchange for Arn freedom. Your friend here thinks that the two of you would be able to accomplish this on your own, but I have my doubts. Therefore, I must insist that you have a backup plan that will allow the Andalite high command to be informed of our plight should you fail," Quahyliera said.

"I don't think-" I began.

"Tobias has already expressed his displeasure with this part of my plan, but I'm afraid I must insist. I can't trust the fate of my people on two aliens I've barely met. It's either this, or no deal."

"Fine," I grunted. "We . . . need to make a call."

We had brought a small, inconspicuous Z-space communicator that Tobias had been wearing on his wrist. It had fallen off when he had demorphed.

I picked it up. "Communicator. Contact Jake Berenson," I told the device.

There were a few moments of silence before Jake picked up his end of the communicator.

"What's the situation?" came the brusque reply.

"We will need backup, after all. You and Marco, come as soon as you can." Quahyliera gave me a distrusting glare. "And this is going to sound strange, but I think you should bring Erek, too." Erek would be the backup plan should we fail, as Quahyliera had put it.

"Okay," Jake said. "Is there anything else we should know?"

I hesitated, almost choking on the single most important bit of news I needed to tell him. "Jake?" I finally said. "It's Rachel. An Arn found her _Ixcila_. She's . . . alive."

I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other side. "Is she there now?" Jake asked at length.

"Yes," I answered.

"Can she hear me?"

"I think so." I looked at Rachel for confirmation.

"Yes, I can hear you, Jake," Rachel said.

"Rachel . . . I've waited four years to say this." I heard him take a deep breath, before he continued. "I just want you to know . . . I . . . " He trailed off, barely able to speak.

At length, he choked out the words, in a pained whisper that was barely audible over the static of the communicator, "I'm sorry, Rachel."

Rachel tilted her head, confusion showing on her Hork-Bajir features.

"For what?"

* * *

Sorry for the long hiatus, everyone. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not dead! I just got distracted by another thing I'm working on writing (and which I hope to get published some day). Anyway, I'm back, for now.

And to answer your question, AniLuver: No, to the best of my knowledge, Cassie and Ronnie are not married (thank Ellimist).


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 (Marco)

I was sitting in the living room, playing pretty much the coolest game ever. Save the Galaxy III. The graphics were stellar, the controls felt so real, and of course the subject matter of the game didn't hurt its case one bit.

I had just acquired the gorilla and was about to face Visser Three again when-

"Hello, hello . . . hola! I'm at a place called Ver-ti-go!" a disembodied voice sang.

It was my cell phone. I looked at the caller ID. It was Jake. I picked up. "Hello?"

"We're going to the Hork-Bajir home world. Pack your things," he said, apparently not in the mood for chitchat.

I groaned, but tried to fake enthusiasm anyway. "Cool," I said. "I'll be ready in a few hours."

A few hours later, I was standing in the hangar where I kept my very own private space ship. Yeah. I really am _that_ rich.

Jake met me there, which of course was no surprise, but I hadn't expected him to be bringing a guest. It took me a second or two to recognize the guy behind him.

"Hey, long time no see!" I exclaimed to Erek. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Marco," he said, somewhat less enthusiastically. Then he shrugged. "Actually, even I don't know what I'm doing here. But apparently Cassie said I was supposed to come."

We got into the craft, the three of us plus our Andalite pilot. We had a fairly decent amount of room left over in the medium-sized craft.

After we took off, Jake filled us both in on what he knew. Which was really just that the Yeerks were, indeed, up to something. I scoffed. "That's real specific," I said.

"Cassie couldn't tell us much, because communications can be intercepted," Jake rationalized. "But . . . she did mention one other thing," he said cautiously.

"Please, do go on," I prodded.

Hesitantly, cautiously, he told us the _other_ thing that Cassie had told him.

"They found Rachel's _Ixcila_."

I wasn't sure how to react. My gut reaction was that . . . this didn't feel _right_, so much so that the wrongness of it made me feel a little ill. Rachel . . . alive again? But not really alive. Only a part of her, a copy of her. Was she alive, or wasn't she? I couldn't quite wrap my mind around the reason why, but that uncertainty really bothered me.

"Jake . . . " I began. "You know as well as I do that an _Ixcila_ isn't the same as the real person. We can't-"

"What is your _problem_?" Jake suddenly exploded. "Why are you still so set against Rachel being alive?"

"Jake, man, you know that isn't it," I said apologetically. "It's just that this isn't the right way to bring her back. This is worse than _nothing_. How can you not see that?"

"At least she's alive," Jake said stubbornly. "How we accomplish that doesn't matter."

"This is cruel!" I fumed. "We're bringing her back only because _we_ can't move on! It has nothing to do with her! A miserable existence is worse than none at all!"

"Calm down, both of you," Erek interjected. "If there's one thing Rachel wouldn't have wanted, it would be her friends fighting over her like this."

Jake raised an eyebrow, giving Erek a curious glance. "Erek? Where do you stand in this?"

Erek shrugged. "I don't have an opinion here. We Chee do not experience death."

"But you must have seen more death than any of us," I pointed out. "You live forever. Everyone you ever knew is either dead or will die before you do."

Erek looked down. Probably wishing I hadn't brought that particular point up. I didn't care. I was going to squeeze an opinion out of him, one way or another.

"That's different," he said. "We watch others die, but never experience the knowledge of mortality for ourselves. I'm sure if we did, we would try to deny death, just as you humans do. But as it is . . . I've watched so many die, that it seems pointless to deny it anymore. I've learned to accept it. Death isn't good, it isn't evil, it just _is_."

"Ha!" I crowed to Jake, pleased that Erek was on my side.

"But, as I said, I can't have a truly informed opinion," Erek amended. "Sure, I can _say_ I would accept death, but I'm an outsider to the whole picture. I can't really _know_ what I would think of death, if I were mortal."

"You're just afraid to choose a side," I taunted.

"Marco, let it go," Jake said. "He's right, he doesn't get to vote on this."

"Oh, sure, defend him as soon as he decides _not_ to vote with me!" I criticized. I was breathing hard, my anger and indignation mounting. "You've been acting like an immature little spoiled brat on this whole issue, you know that? You just want everyone to agree with you!"

Jake growled. "Drop it, Marco."

"You're trying to deny it because it's true!" I shot back. "You want everyone to agree with you because you're scared I'm right! This is an abomination and you _know_ it!"

"You're _wrong_. Rachel's alive! That's a good thing! We should be celebrating! And here you are saying we should let her stay dead!" Jake screamed.

"Cool it," Erek said, talking to both of us.

"No, I won't cool it," Jake said. "Not until Marco realizes that Rachel didn't deserve to die!"

"Neither will I," I agreed. "Not until Jake realizes that this doesn't have anything to do with who deserves what! It's about denying reality!"

"Why do you hate her?" Jake shouted at me through gritted teeth, his fists clenching.

"The real question is why do _you_?" I yelled back. "How can you be so selfish? You want her to be alive because that will clear your guilty conscience! You don't care what's best for her!"

"I want her to be alive! How is that not caring what's best for her? You want her to be dead! You're as good as a murderer!"

"_I'm_ a murderer? That's rich, coming from _you_!"

As heated as our arguing was getting, I didn't notice the change in Jake at first. His eyes changing color, becoming more reflective. The first hints of orange fur that were growing around his face.

But Erek noticed. "Jake, don't," the Chee threatened, standing up from his seat.

"That's the way you want it, Jakey boy?" I mocked once I noticed that he was morphing. "Fine! We'll play it your way!" I began morphing to gorilla, focusing hard to catch up with Jake.

"Jake, Marco, stop this!" Erek moaned. "Rachel would be horrified if she could see you two!"

"Marco doesn't carrre whak sche kinks!" Jake said, his speech becoming garbled as his mouth changed. He switched to thought-speak to finish. ((He only cares that she stays dead!))

((And you only care about your conscience!)) I spat back. ((You should have thought about all this before you killed her in the first place!))

Jake replied with a tiger's roar. I bellowed back with my gorilla voice.

Jake charged at me, his teeth and claws bared in rage.

* * *

Wow, I can't believe people are still reading my story after three months of inactivity. You guys are frikkin' dedicated! So this one goes out to my readers; you guys rock! :)


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 (Cassie)

It would be another week or so before Jake and Marco would arrive. It was nervous waiting, knowing that we would go into battle soon after. But we made good use of the time. We spent every moment in Quahyliera's little hide-away, with Rachel.

We got to know Nenan, the Hork-Bajir whose body Rachel was sharing, quite well, too. He reminded me of Jara Hamee. Remembering Jara, I realized once again just how much I regretted that he had died. He had made the Hork-Bajir colony on earth what it was. Toby still led the colony, but she could never quite replace her father to me.

After a few days, we'd talked Quahyliera into reconfiguring the force-field to recognize our DNA patterns, thus allowing us to pass through. Not Rachel's, though, of course. We still hadn't managed to gain the suspicious Arn's total trust.

It was the day after we'd found Rachel, and Tobias was in Hork-Bajir morph, inside the force field, the two of them nuzzling each other like each thought the other was the only thing in the world that mattered. It was sweet. And it was so clear how much Tobias had missed her.

I felt awkward watching, though, so I talked to Quahyliera. I'd had an idea that I wanted to discuss with the Arn, but I wasn't sure how to voice it. I tried anyway.

"I was wondering," I started. "Could you create a new body for Rachel? If you were provided with DNA, I mean?"

She looked at me curiously. "Not with the equipment I have available," she said simply. "I could create a few cells, maybe some biogenic compounds, but that's it, really."

"Oh," I said, disappointed. "Hmm. Well . . . " I continued, thinking for a moment. There had to be a way around this, a way to get Rachel out of Nenan's body and into her own. Then, suddenly, in a flash of inspiration, the answer came to me. "Do you think you could trigger, say, an allergic reaction with the equipment you have, then?"

Quahyliera nodded. "Of course," she said. "It's only a matter of generating a specific type of antibody, coded to signal your body to attack a foreign material. It's fairly elementary. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Never mind that. Next question. Can you scan my blood for the DNA pattern of a blonde human girl?"

A few days later, Quahyliera had not only found Rachel's DNA in my blood, but had engineered the antibody that would make my body attack it. In return for this favor, she demanded that we inform the Andalite high command of the Yeerks' operation _before_ going through with our plan to attack it. I weighed the two options for a while, before I very reluctantly agreed. But I said that we needed to wait for Jake and Marco to arrive before making that fateful call.

The next day, my injection was finally ready. I bent down to let Quahyliera clean my arm with a cloth that had been soaked in some sort of reddish liquid. Once that was done, she took the syringe of the clear liquid and stuck it into my skin, releasing the antibodies into my bloodstream. I felt a wave of nausea accompanied by a feeling of pins and needles, but the feeling quickly passed.

"Remember," Rachel advised. "The allergic morphing is controlled by emotions. Just relax, and you'll be fine. Heck, you're probably a lot better off than I was."

"Right," I said, emptying my mind of emotion. Harder than you might think, what with a dangerous battle looming before us, a new war possibly on the horizon, and Rachel alive again after four years. But I couldn't think about any of that.

"Okay, time to test you," Rachel said with a devious grin. "Imagine Jake here."

I did as I was told, my mind picturing Jake's confident brown eyes and his tentative smile. Immediately, the feeling of pins and needles came back. When I looked down, I saw that I was growing brown fur. I was morphing!

Wait, I was morphing? That meant . . . No! I did _not_ still have feelings for Jake!

Of course, the moment that fear of my own emotions spiked, the morph only proceeded even faster. My feet lengthened, my face pressed forward into a muzzle, and a thick, powerful tail shot out of my spine.

"You morphed a kangaroo?" Rachel crowed, amused. "When did _that_ happen?"

Finally, I got my emotions under control and demorphed. "Long story," I said with a sigh.

Over the next week, I continued to practice controlling my emotions. There was a decent chance I would have to go into battle with this morph allergy, so I had to know how to keep it under control. But I was pretty confident after a few days. Thank god I'm such an easy-going person. For the most part, controlling my emotions wasn't as hard as I'd thought it might be.

At the same time, we filled Rachel in on bits and pieces of things she'd missed. I told her about the time when I'd acquired the kangaroo on my solo adventure in Australia, and Tobias answered her curiousity about what had ultimately become of Taylor.

She never asked about how she had died. Maybe she didn't want to know.

Finally, Jake called on the communicator to say that he, Marco, and Erek had arrived. I gave them our position, and they arrived several hours later.

The three of them walked into the cave, obviously worn-out from their trip. But what was strange was the tension I sensed between Marco and Jake, so intense that they each seemed to radiate energy. The cues were subtle, but I could see that they weren't making eye contact with each other, and they seemed to want to stand as far from each other as courtesy would allow.

Whatever was going on between them, they still managed to act as though nothing were wrong. "Hey, girls," Marco said with a wink when he stepped into the cavern. "Rachel, you're looking better than ever."

Rachel gave him a rude gesture. Marco just laughed. "Yep, that's Rachel, alright."

"Who's this?" Jake said, looking at Quahyliera like she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. "Aren't you an Arn?"

"Very astute," she said sarcastically. "My name's Quahyliera."

She proceeded to quickly sum up the situation for the boys. She told them the full story about what the Yeerks were doing, and the dealings we'd made with her to get Rachel back.

Immediately, Jake gave me a furious glare. "Cassie, you had no right to tell her that we would tell the Andalites about this! That's as good as firing the first shot of a new war!"

"We're getting Rachel back," I shot back. "That's what you wanted, too, isn't it?"

"Yes, but not at the price of another war!" he fumed. "You could have, at the very least, waited for me to agree to this! To go over my head, to do this without my approval, what were you thinking, Cassie? You're talking about risking _everything_! For one person!"

"Good to know you missed me, cousin," Rachel said bitterly.

I took a deep breath, as I felt the pins and needles again. I watched as feather patterns began to trace themselves across my skin.

Oh god. Please don't notice, please don't notice, please-

"Cassie?" Erek said, speaking up for the first time. He, Jake and Marco were all staring at me.

"Are you alright?" Jake asked, suddenly concerned. Somehow, his concern wasn't helping.

I closed my eyes and focused. Eliminate all emotion. Demorph.

Human again, I said, "Part of the deal was getting a new body for Rachel. And apparently the Arn have a way to trigger morph allergies. So I burp a body for Rachel, and we have her back. All the way."

For a brief moment, Marco made eye contact with me. He looked furious. But then he turned his face away, seething in silence.

Jake didn't look much happier. "You could have at least waited until after the battle," he scolded.

"I'll be fine," I reassured him. "Don't worry about me."

After a moment's pause, he smiled that slow, cautious smile of his. "You're right. I won't," he said, his confidence in me showing in his eyes. For all his angry words, even after I'd disobeyed him, he still trusted me.

I smiled back, and carefully kept my back-side from Jake's sight, so he wouldn't notice the giant squirrel tail that had come shooting out of my spine.

* * *

Ryoko: Yes, I liked Rachel, too. But I don't disagree with the message that K.A. was sending by her death. It isn't just that it was war, it's that sometimes good people die. As for why Marco is so against her being brought back to life . . . well, that should become somewhat clearer in my next story, The Eternal, as all the psychological effects of everything Rachel has been through become more and more evident.

Bonbon: Where I stand on the issue of Rachel's death is precisely in the middle, I think. I didn't want her to die, but at the same time, it seems that it was truly inevitable that she would. And part of me hates to see her stay dead, but another part balks and cringes at every fanfic I read that brings her back to life and has her live happily ever after as if she'd never died. I think those fics tend to trivialize the importance of her death. She needs to have died, and yet . . . she needs to live, too. And that's why I picked the _Ixcila_ solution for my own plot. It brings her back, in a way, but it's not going to be 'happily ever after' like so many fics I see.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 (Jake)

After I'd had a moment or two to cool off from the shock of Cassie's most recent news, I had to admit that I felt a little bad for snapping at her the way I had. The truth was, I knew she'd made the right decision. I'd have made the same decision in her place.

Rachel had to live. No matter what. Even if the cost was a new war. We owed it to her. The _world_ owed it to her.

No, all that had really upset me about what Cassie had done was only that she had done it behind my back. My anger with her had just been my knee-jerk reaction to being disobeyed. And once it hit me that she was worthy of my trust, that she knew what she was doing, well, that was when I realized that I would have done the same.

Now that I'd had the chance to mull things over, I didn't like the way I'd handled the situation that had recently arisen with Marco, either. Sure, he'd been wrong about keeping Rachel dead. He was _still_ wrong. But that didn't give me the excuse to overreact the way that I had. If anything, I'd only made things worse between me and him. He would be indignant at me, now. And he would only feel all the more justified in his own deluded position because of it.

Of course, the fact that my attempt at an attack on Marco had only ended with my head slamming painfully and ingloriously into Erek's force field, didn't help me feel any better about the matter. In retrospect, I really should have known not to underestimate the Chee's ability, or determination, to stop a fight.

But it was pointless to think about any of that now. What was done, was done, and there was no taking it back. Marco would eventually come to see that I was right, anyhow.

Until then, there were more pressing matters to attend to. We had to uphold the bargain Cassie had made with the Arn in exchange for Rachel's body. It was time to call the Andalite high command.

I made the call on a special, heavily encrypted connection that Erek had set up for me. I waited a second for it to connect, and then Erek projected the hologram of an Andalite officer into the air in front of me. Cassie, Tobias and Marco were careful to stay out of sight of the hologram, since they each knew that I was the one most qualified to handle this conversation, and that interruptions would only slow us down.

((What is this?)) the Andalite asked coolly. ((Do you realize who you are contacting?))

"Yes, I do," I said, keeping my voice as even as I could, even as I tried not to think about the deadly significance this conversation might pose. "This is Jake Berenson. I have information on a situation on the Hork-Bajir home world. The Yeerks are here."

The Andalite's eyes widened briefly at the sound of my name; even among Andalites, my name was widely known. But then he immediately went back to his stoic, arrogant scowl. ((Yes, yes, we already know that much,)) the Andalite said gruffly. ((Anything else?))

It took me by surprise that the Andalites knew about the Yeerk presence on the Hork-Bajir home world, but I tried not to show it. "They've enslaved the Arn," I continued, keeping my composure even though my suspicions were rising. "They're building mind-control technology. They're going to try another take-over."

The Andalite fell into a shocked silence. But, once again, it lasted only for a moment. When he came back, he sounded just as arrogant as ever. ((We suspected as much,)) he said, but I got the distinct feeling he hadn't known about the Arn or about the Yeerks' plans. ((War-Prince Galuit has already seen fit to send Prince Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil to resolve the situation. But . . . thank you,)) the Andalite said reluctantly. ((We will use this new information well.))

My eyes widened when I heard Ax's name, and I heard gasps of amazement from my friends. ((Ax?)) I heard Tobias blurt out in wonder. "Thank you," I told the Andalite as I held up a hand to make sure my friends stayed quiet. "Aximili is a friend of ours, as I'm sure you know. It gladdens me to know that we are working towards a common goal."

I paused for a moment then, trying to decide where Ax might fit into the bigger picture of our situation. How could I use him? Where would he provide the best advantage?

"There is a Blade Ship somewhere in orbit around this planet that contains plans and blueprints for the mind control devices," I pointed out. "If he has a fighter of some sort, he might be able to destroy it. All we have are civilian craft, useless against a Blade Ship. But we could still take care of the blueprints and devices here on the ground if he got rid of the ones in the air."

((Yes, his superiors have seen fit to equip him with a Sstram grid-ship. The ship is innocuous enough, since Sstram ships can be used for plenty of innocent undertakings, and the vessel obviously has no association with Andalites. But he does have some firepower, we made quite certain of that. I do not know if he can match a Blade Ship,)) the Andalite admitted with some hesitation, ((but I suppose there may be no other option.))

"If I know Aximili," I said brightly, "he can find a way."

The Andalite smiled with just his eyes, the way all Andalites do. ((Ah, that he can, I am sure.))

After a moment, the Andalite bowed and said, ((I apologize for my earlier rudeness. I am Prince Rastorrin-Nerivix-Darak. Well met, Prince Jake. And I thank you for your assistance in Prince Aximili's mission. I will be sure to relay your information to his superiors.))

I thanked him in return, and signed off.

((I can't believe Ax is here, too!)) Tobias said, still incredulous. ((Do you realize that this will be the first time the six of us have been together in four years?))

"Feels like only yesterday," Rachel said with a half-hearted laugh, but Marco was the only one who laughed back. Cassie just gave her a sideways glance, a brief glimmer of sadness in her expression. Rachel gave Cassie a bewildered glance, then turned away.

I waited a moment for the silence to sink in, and then I stepped forward at just the right moment to break the stillness. I knew that we had more important things to think about than Ax, right now.

"Alright everyone," I said to my team, reminding them what we were here to do. "We've done enough stalling. Are we ready to go get some Yeerks?"

* * *

Bonbon: Yes, I do in fact have one more book planned after this one. Book 57: The Eternal. As for Crayak/Ellimist . . . well, they always seem to have a hand in it when important stuff is happening, don't they? Whether or not they plan to get directly involved is anyone's guess. ;)


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 (Ax)

I was nearing the Hork-Bajir home world when I received a communication from the Andalite fleet. I opened my ship's two-way communication, the screen taking a moment or two to warm up before displaying the face of a familiar Andalite.

((We've received new intelligence,)) War-Prince Galuit, the commander of my mission, said. ((There is a Blade Ship above the Hork-Bajir home world which must be destroyed. It contains blueprints for mind-control devices that the Yeerks intend to use to re-create their empire of slavery.)) He paused for a moment or two to let the new information sink in, then added, ((They must be stopped at _all costs_, do you understand me?))

((Yes, sir,)) I answered with feigned calm, careful not to show any of the sudden fear I felt. ((Do we know exactly where this Blade Ship is?))

((No,)) Galuit admitted. ((You will have to find that out for yourself. And there is another thing. A second group on the planet has plans to attack and destroy the blueprints on the Yeerks' base itself. They have asked to coordinate their attacks with yours, in order that the attacks might provide a distraction.))

((Another group, sir?)) I asked, curious. ((Who?))

Galuit smiled with his eyes, and answered, ((Why, I believe they are old friends of yours. Jake Berenson and his team are down there.))

My hearts jumped. ((The Animorphs, you mean? But,)) I stuttered, ((they have retired from active duty, have they not?))

((It would seem that they felt they were needed,)) Galuit said. ((And perhaps they are right. Andalite involvement in this matter is forbidden, as you know. But the Animorphs, of course, do not answer to Andalite government. And, acting as a member of their unit, neither do you.))

((But,)) I said, still disbelieving, ((they have done enough, and more. They are still mere humans, after all. They are not meant for war. Not when there are others who can fight. They need to-))

((Tell it to them, not me,)) Galuit interrupted me gently. ((Your only duty is to find the Blade Ship, and then to wait for the signal from your former prince. That is all, Prince Aximili.))

((Yes, sir,)) I said again, and turned the communicator off.

I could barely think straight, my hearts were beating so fast. The Animorphs, back in the war? I felt excited to fight side-by-side once again with my former comrades, but I felt afraid for them, too.

Their first war had left them different, scarred. I had watched each of them change over the course of those three years. Humans were not born warriors, not the way Andalites were. That was a truth that I had seen first hand. Were they really doing the right thing by getting themselves involved again? Now, when the burden of war needed no longer fall upon their shoulders alone?

On the other hand, I realized that the new intelligence that Galuit had mentioned must have undoubtedly come from my human friends. And without that information, I would not have known what the Yeerks were doing, nor how to stop them.

They knew what they were doing, no doubt. The only question was, what would it do to them this time?

I shook myself out of my thoughts, and set myself to the task at hand. I scanned the area nearby for the characteristic shape of the Blade Ship, on the offhand chance that they had been careless enough to leave it uncloaked. I didn't expect to find it so easily, and, of course, I didn't.

My vessel, a Sstram grid-ship, was a fairly primitive design. Many of the controls were flawed and imperfect compared to Andalite ships, but I felt it would serve my purposes. The grid-ship was only slightly smaller than a Blade Ship, and its design consisted of interlocking plates in complex geometrical patterns. It was actually slightly asymetrical, with two cube-shaped extensions on its left side each equipped with small beam weapons, and a larger platform on the right that held a sizeable beam cannon. It could not match weapons with a Blade Ship, but as long as I carried the element of surprise, I surmised that I might be able to overcome that difficulty.

I awkwardly held the joysticks that were designed for the tentacle-like hands of a Sstram, and set the ship to skim the barren, dark grey surface of the Hork-Bajir planet. I scanned the air for the characteristic shimmer that might give away the presence of a cloaked ship. I cloaked my own ship in the meantime, not wanting to alert the Blade Ship to my presence.

It was a long and tedious search. A few times I thought I saw a shimmer, but it always turned out to be simply the movement of one of the lizards that lived on the barren rock beyond the Hork-Bajir valleys. And I could not even be certain that the first cloaked ship I encountered would be the Blade Ship.

Finally, I spotted it. To my chagrin, it was not even cloaked, but rather only hidden by virtue of its dark color against the black of space.

It made sense, I realized as I thought about it, as I wondered why the Yeerks might have left a Blade Ship out in the open. As obvious as a Blade Ship was, it had to remain clearly visible. So long as it remained uncloaked, the Yeerks might be able to excuse its presence with an innocent explanation. But if it had cloaked itself, and was then discovered, it would only appear much more suspicious.

It had been 'hiding in plain sight,' as the human saying goes.

I was still cloaked, but I didn't trust the cloaking devices on a Sstram ship to hide me from a Blade Ship's instruments. So I piloted my ship down to the crater-ridden surface of the Hork-Bajir planet, concealing it from the Blade Ship behind the lip of a small ravine that ran parallel to one of the Hork-Bajir valleys.

As I waited, I followed the Blade Ship's slow, steady, orbital movement, hiding in craters and valleys whenever the opportunity presented itself. And as I watched the Blade Ship, I noticed that it was ever so subtly different from the ship formerly belonging to Visser One. This Blade Ship had slightly smaller wings, a larger bridge, and a longer, curved stem that joined the two. Its curved shape and large bridge gave it a more snake-like appearance, so that, while it didn't appear as blatantly dangerous as Visser One's infamous vessel, it had a subtler, sinister presence of its own.

I shivered again, itching to do something, anything, and afraid that the Blade Ship would detect my presence. Or that it would cloak itself and I would lose it.

Finally, after a few hours, Jake's signal came.

His face appeared on the screen after a moment, and it was not the broken and hollow face of a human destroyed by war. His face was a mask of confidence. He was his former self once more, a leader, the same prince that I had followed for three years on earth, and his renewed strength of will shone through the miles between us through my screen.

Perhaps I was wrong about him, at least, I thought as I looked upon his hardened face. Perhaps Jake, my prince, truly _was_ meant for war.

"It's time," he said simply to me, and the screen went dark.

* * *

Bonbon: Sorry, but I have a strict no-plot-spoiling policy. What's the point of writing a story at all if I'm going to give everything away? ;)

I can tell you, though, that yes, Rastorrin is an original character of mine. Haven't decided whether he's going to be important or not, though.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 (Rachel)

I listened eagerly from behind my force field as the others discussed a plan of action. Plans to be made, Yeerks to be killed.

"Okay, we need a discreet morph to get in, but something that can destroy the computers that hold the blueprints. Would morphing Hork-Bajir work?" Cassie asked.

Quahyliera sneered. "These are Yeerks, not idiots. They're are such a small group that they can recognize each other. They'll know immediately that you don't belong. You'd have about as much luck going in as humans."

"Insects, then?" Jake asked.

"Gleet biofilters," Quahyliera retorted. "They fear sabotage, and they know all about the dangers posed by morphing. They'll only let in the individuals whose DNA is programmed in, and even then, they check them now and then to confirm their identities."

"Can the biofilter be shut off from the inside?" I asked, determined to contribute something. It was weird. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was just an outsider here, even though these were the same Animorphs I'd known for years.

"Yes, theoretically," Quahyliera said. "But the Yeerks will be alerted the moment that it is deactivated. There is a security system connected to the biofilter that cannot be disabled."

Jake looked thoughtful. While he was thinking, I decided to speak up again. "If the system were down, you guys could get in with your battle morphs. Then it wouldn't matter if they knew you were there or not. You could just fight your way through, and destroy whatever needed to be destroyed. Wham, bam, boom."

It didn't feel right to me, referring to the Animorphs as 'you' instead of 'we.' But I knew I would be excluded from whatever plan they came up with. I couldn't morph.

Quahyliera looked horrified. Or at least what I guessed represented horror on an Arn expression. "How in the name of the Deep did you manage to keep the Yeerks at bay for as long as you did without being killed?" she exclaimed. "Have the Yeerks _never_ shot a Dracon beam at you? You can't be serious."

"Rachel's right," Jake said, defending me. "We've faced worse than a bunch of terrified Yeerk _nothlits_. I think 'wham, bam, boom' is exactly what we need. Quahyliera, could you shut off the biofilter for us?"

"Absolutely not. Your idea is pure lunacy, and I do not wish for you to get yourselves killed."

"Look," Jake said, exasperated. "Even if you don't help us, we are still doing this. Tobias has an Arn morph. He can shut off the biofilter himself. But it would be easier for him not to need to demorph when this goes down. We have a better chance of success if you were the one to shut it off."

"No. When you fail, I would be punished, perhaps even killed, for helping you. I will not sacrifice myself for a plan that will not even work."

I breathed in, then out again, trying to stop myself from lashing out against the Arn. She was so annoying. So steadfastly determined to stay in control of her situation, at any cost. And I was, very quickly, beginning to hate her for it.

"If you won't help us," I growled. "Then release me, right now. If you would make us use one of our own members to disable the biofilter, then you need to let me out so I can fight in-"

That got Nenan's attention. Immediately, he grabbed my voice and screamed, "NO!" at the same time as Quahyliera echoed his sentiment.

The Hork-Bajir and the Arn both began talking at the same time, both trying to make themselves heard over the other.

"Nenan not want to fight! Bad voice-in-head,-"

"This idea is lunacy, and I will not-"

"-evil-voice, made Nenan fight other Hork-Bajir, made kill-"

"-let a precious _Ixcila_ be lost just because-"

"-other Hork-Bajir! Not want fight, not want fight!"

"-you insist on being a fool!"

Nenan continued for a while even after Quahyliera stopped talking. "Yeerk, evil-voice-in-head, make Nenan fight! Nenan not want fight! Kill with blades, brother and sister! Kill free Hork-Bajir! Blood on blades . . . no, no, no! Hork-Bajir never hurt Hork-Bajir. But Yeerk angry, make Nenan kill. Please bottle-spirit, please not make Nenan kill. Please, please . . . Yeerks are dead, dead and gone, no more Yeerks, no more kill!"

The others jumped in surprise at Nenan's outburst, and Cassie looked sadly at me. Or, well, at Nenan.

"You can't force him to fight," Jake said to me, his tone accusing. "You'd be no better than a Yeerk if you did. Not to mention that Nenan can't morph, so you couldn't afford to get injured. I'm sorry, Rachel, but you have to sit this fight out."

"I know that," I said, as soon as I was able to get a word in over Nenan's whimpering. "I'm just getting sick of that Arn's self-righteousness." I glared at her. "Anyone who would refuse to help someone who wants to _help them _is not worthy of my respect," I spat.

The Arn glared right back at me, furious that I would dare to insult her even when I was still completely at her mercy.

"You say you wouldn't sacrifice yourself for a plan that wouldn't work," I continued, letting my disgust with her show plainly in my voice. "But won't you even sacrifice yourself for your own people? Do you not even have that much decency? If you wait until the Andalites arrive to save you, your people would be caught in the crossfire of the war that is coming. By then your friends won't be slaves. They'll be dead. And until then, this is the only plan we have. And unless you have a better one, this is what we are doing. So I'd suggest you help us, unless you want to watch your people become extinct for a second time."

Quahyliera's expression went blank, unreadable, as she considered my words. "You're right," she finally said. "I _would_ sacrifice myself for my people." She glared around the room, making sure her point was clear. "And it is for my people, not for you, that I will lend my aid to our common goal. Yes, I will help you." She paused, then added quietly, but forcefully, "But remember well what is at stake for me and my people if you fail."

The Arn glared around the room again, her hard, cold eyes finally coming to rest on Jake, who said, "We won't fail." Jake smiled back at me, as if acknowledging that I was the only one of us who could have cowed Quahyliera the way I did.

But there was more than just acknowledgement in his smile. Wistfulness, maybe. Reminiscence for days gone by.

He jerked his gaze away from me and began laying out the plan. It took another hour or so to get all the details of the scheme worked out, during which time I mentally apologized to Nenan for making him think that I was going to force him into battle. As much as I hated to stay behind while my friends risked their lives, I had already accepted that there was no choice.

I put my hand against the force field as I watched them make their final preparations for battle. I wanted so badly to join them, to participate in the first battle of the new war. But I couldn't, not while I shared a body with Nenan, and not while I couldn't morph.

Finally, the moment had come. Jake called Ax on Erek's communicator, and simply said, "It's time." Then he immediately began to shift, orange and black fur rippling across his body. Cassie was well on the way into her wolf morph, and as I watched her transform, I realized it was her I was most worried for. Her allergy would make her vulnerable in battle, even as emotionally controlled as she was."Make sure to watch your emotions, okay?" I said. She nodded, her shaggy grey fur swaying as she moved her head up and down.

Marco grew taller, blades sprouting from his elbows and wrists as he completed his Hork-Bajir morph. I glanced at Tobias, and was surprised to see him morphing a creature I'd never seen before. His feathers had changed color to grey and green, and glimmered like they had been coated in lacquer.

As I watched, each feather sharpened to a point, and Tobias's body shot upwards to match Marco's Hork-Bajir height. His now-humanoid form was angular, yet graceful, and his eyes were cold, diamond-shaped plates of red glass. And he'd kept his wings, which now stretched almost twenty feet across when he unfurled them.

((It's called a Kelbrid,)) Tobias said when he noticed me staring at him. He turned around to let me get a better view of the angular, razor-bladed wings that extended from his shoulders. ((What do you think?))

I flashed him my Hork-Bajir smile. And I glanced down at his razor-edged, deadly talons, talons the size and shape of daggers, and I pictured his new form in battle, swooping down from the air to strike at his foes. "I think it's perfect for you," I said fondly, feeling a sudden swell of ferocious pride for him. Tobias had finally found his perfect battle morph, and it was beautiful.

The four of them left the cave, and I was left alone with Erek. He looked concerned, like there was something about this whole affair that bothered him deeply.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine," I said to him, wondering why he looked so worried now, when he had known we had gone into more dangerous battles so many times before. "They know what they're doing."

His gaze met mine, reluctantly, as though he could barely bring himself to look at me. As though I reminded him of something he could not bear to remember. His expression was a strange mix of wonder and pity and bewilderment and perhaps even horror, and he shook his head and said, "It isn't the outcome of this battle that I worry for."

* * *

Bonbon: No, no, Rastorrin would be a genuine Andalite if he were a main character. One Yeerkish Andalite character is enough, I think.

As for Jake's line, I have to admit that I was going for something short and dramatic. I wasn't really thinking about the possibility of him giving Ax more instructions at that point. But, as you can see from the current chapter, Jake's got plenty of other stuff on his mind at the time that he said that. And, besides, I think he would trust Ax to figure things out on his own. Ax knows his stuff when it comes to spacecraft, probably better than Jake does.

Ah, well, you see, the thing is, I have a few more, devious, plans for Jake and Cassie's "whining." And maybe for Ronnie, too. Relationships as complex as theirs don't get solved in a day, you know!

The feeling is mutual, then, because I check every day waiting for your reviews. I love how insightful you are; you always manage to catch the things I miss, and you make my writing better!

And, finally, a note to everyone: My apologies that there was such a long lead-up to the coming battle, but there was a lot of stuff that I felt needed to be mentioned before things started really heating up. I promise there WILL be blood next chapter, though.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 (Jake)

We waited, just outside the lip of the Yeerks' cave, for the alarm that would be our signal to move.

My muscles tensed, the seconds seeming to tick by like hours. And yet, it felt so familiar, the way the adrenaline surged through the tiger's veins, as I prepared myself for the battle. Prepared to kill.

Suddenly-

SKREEEEET SKREEEEET SKREEEEET!

I jumped like a coiled spring and bolted forward, my feet flying underneath me. To my left and right, a wolf, a Hork-Bajir, and a Kelbrid ran forward with me.

Chaos erupted as we ran into the Yeerks' base. Dracons flashed, and I felt the heat from a near miss.

We struck! I hit a human that had been shooting at me, bowling him over like he was nothing more than a flimsy creature made of sticks.

((Don't hold back!)) I told everyone. ((There are no hosts this time, they're just Yeerks! Show no mercy!))

I roared as a Hork-Bajir came at me. I ducked under his blades, only to leap upward with my feline grace, dispatching him with a bite to the neck.

I lost myself in the battle for a while. Blows and counterblows, no time to think, only time to kill. Dodge the blades that would kill me if they connected, keep moving or the Dracon beams would burn me, and deliver death by tooth and claw.

Somewhere in the midst of the battle, I began to feel a crawling sensation of someone, or something, watching me. The feeling came as a prickling at the back of my neck, as some strange force seemed to be scrutinizing me.

The feeling intensified until it became a burning itch in my mind. I tried to move my head, to see whoever or whatever it was that was observing me so intently, but, with a shock, I discovered that my own neck would not obey my commands.

Slowly, gradually, I stopped fighting against the Yeerks around me. Even though I hadn't consciously decided to. My legs padded away from the midst of the battle, and try as I might, I could not turn myself around and make my feet obey me. Hork-Bajir still slashed at me as I passed, but each blade missed by a hair's width.

((Guys?)) I said, terrified. ((Something's wrong. Something's controlling me!))

There was no answer.

((Guys!)) I shouted desperately. ((Cassie! Marco! Help!))

((They can't hear you,)) a voice in my head told me, and my blood went cold.

((No,)) I moaned. ((Someone! Anyone! Please hear me!))

Without warning, my head shot downward. Out of my control. My teeth suddenly sank into my right shoulder, a searing flash of pain shooting through my body. My own blood filled my mouth, and I screamed in pain, unable to make it stop. The terrible force controlling my body shook my head back and forth, tearing at my flesh, my blood spilling down my fur.

When it was satisfied, it released my shoulder and slowly made its way back into the fray. Unbidden, my thoughts went to Cassie, as the force inside my head rifled through my memories, and the voice commented, ((Interesting. Very interesting.))

I moved towards Cassie as she twisted and fought to avoid her Hork-Bajir attackers. She ignored me, of course, much more focused on staying alive.

I wanted to yell, ((Run!)) But she couldn't hear me. My body carefully turned to the side as I sidled up next to her, keeping my injury out of her sight.

Just when Cassie was about to notice me, I pounced! My body twisted to face her, my mouth opened to reveal my deadly fangs, and I sank my teeth deep into the back of her neck. She yelped in pain and shock. I resisted, desperately tried to release her, but my own mouth would not obey me.

((Jake!?)) Cassie exclaimed, shocked. ((What are you doing?!))

((What's going on?)) Marco asked, looking over at us with confusion, then horror, as he saw me holding Cassie's neck in my teeth.

I breathed a sigh of relief. My friends would realize now that I wasn't myself. Surely, they wouldn't let me attack Cassie. They would find a way to stop me.

((Guys, something's wrong!)) I heard a voice say, and with mounting fear I recognized the voice as my own, even though I had not formed those words. ((Cassie tried to attack me!))

((WHAT!?)) Cassie screeched. ((_You're_ the one who bit _me_!))

My body turned so that Marco and Tobias could see the bite mark that my body had inflicted on itself moments ago. ((Look!)) my voice said, subtly nodding my head towards the wound. ((She was aiming for my neck, but I managed to block her.))

To my dismay, I saw that the blood that was still flowing from my wound obscured its shape. It could have been inflicted by a wolf or a tiger, and no one would have been able to tell.

((I don't know anything about it,)) Cassie moaned. ((I didn't do that!))

((Pretty weak, Yeerk,)) Tobias said accusingly. ((That's a bite mark, alright, no denying it. Good work, Jake.))

Oh my god, he'd believed me! ((No!)) I screamed helplessly. ((NO!))

((Yeah, you seem to have things under control. Just don't let her go,)) Marco said to me. ((Try and get out of the battle. Tobias and I will take care of things until you can make sure Cassie's okay.))

((No, no, no, no!)) I screamed in rage and frustration, desperately willing my voice to be heard. Whatever was controlling me was going to kill Cassie, and my friends were just going to let it happen!

Cassie looked pleadingly at me, knowing she was trapped. Knowing that anything she said to Tobias or Marco would only look like a ruse, to trick them into forcing me to let her go. ((Oh god, Jake. If you can hear me, fight this! Please! Please help me.))

My jaws responded by biting down harder. ((You deserve this,)) my voice told her in private thought-speech, and I felt a chill go down my spine as I saw what the Yeerk was planning. ((Jake would have done it himself, you know, but he was too weak.))

((What are you talking about, Yeerk?)) Cassie said, her voice sounding more puzzled than disgusted.

((You broke him,)) my voice told her. ((Oh, I wish you could see his mind for yourself. It's pathetic. He's been a broken shell ever since the end of the last war, and it's all because of _you_.))

I felt Cassie's pulse quicken beneath her fur. ((What, why?))

((You know perfectly well why. You _left_ him, Cassie. When he needed you most, you left him.))

As much as I wanted Cassie not to believe the Yeerk's words, I could sense that he had pulled them from the deepest parts of my own mind. Somewhere in my mind, I really _did_ feel that way. Cassie _had_ abandoned me when I'd needed her most. And a very real part of me, even now, still hated her for it.

But . . . no! Not like this! I didn't want this!

My jaws tightened on Cassie's neck again, and she whimpered. ((No, no,)) she moaned. ((Jake . . . I couldn't . . . ))

((Don't believe him!)) I shouted silently, powerless even to keep my deepest secrets to myself.

((Taste Jake's pain, Cassie,)) my voice whispered to her as I drove my teeth deeper and deeper into her neck, powerless to stop. ((You weren't there for him, even after he had always been there for you. When you had to deal with your guilt, when you were crying over your pathetic little insecurities, I was there, to listen to you, to comfort you, to tell you it would all be alright.))

The Yeerk didn't sound angry, or condescending, as I was so used to hearing from Yeerks. Rather, he sounded . . . sad. Wistful. He was using first person now, speaking in my words, my voice.

((But what about me? I held the weight of the _world_ on my shoulders, Cassie. And when it finally crushed me, when I was a broken shell, you ran away. You protected your own delicate sensitivities at my expense. You could have saved me, Cassie. You could have saved me from myself. As I had done, countless times, for you. You selfish wretch!)) Anger was creeping into 'my' voice, now. Righteous anger. Indignance at having been wronged.

From the Yeerk? Or from me?

((Jake, I'm sorry,)) Cassie moaned, her thought-speak voice weak with guilt. ((But . . . I was hurting, too.))

My head shook back and forth, twisting Cassie's neck and tearing her skin, as the Yeerk said furiously, ((Do not even pretend that you felt a fraction of the pain that I did! The blood of _thousands_ is on my hands, Cassie!))

((No, no, stop it!)) she screamed suddenly. ((You're not Jake! You're twisting his words, you're lying!))

((Am I? You know as well as I do that I couldn't know these things if they weren't right here in Jake's mind,)) the Yeerk stated simply. ((Oh yes, he hates you. Can't really blame him, though, can you?))

I felt a shiver run down Cassie's body. Right then, as her skin began to flow like a liquid under my teeth and her body began to shrink, it suddenly dawned on me what the Yeerk had been trying to do. Why he had been so determined to torture her like this. To draw out her emotions.

Cassie realized it too. ((NO! No, no, no, no!)) she screamed, but still she shrank.

She was morphing. I leaned down, keeping my teeth around her neck even as her body dwindled. She pleaded with me, ((Jake, help me! Fight it! Please, Jake! Help me!)) But I could not answer her.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 (Ax)

My fingers flew across the controls of the Sstram grid-ship, as I dropped the cloak and opened fire with my beam cannon.

The first shot was a hit. The Blade Ship had not had time to put up its shields, and I had struck it from behind. The white beam of light flashed towards the Blade Ship's left wing, and where it landed it left a blackened, sizzling hole.

The Blade Ship began to turn towards me almost immediately. I fired again, this time with the grid-ship's smaller beam weapons while my cannon recharged. But my shots merely glanced off the Blade Ship's shields.

I rose from the crater in which I had been hiding, drawing level with the Blade Ship as it turned to face me. A red beam lanced from its own Dracon cannons, but I anticipated the shot and rolled my ship to the side. A miss.

My communicator light flashed, indicating an incoming communication. I kept my guard up, my stalk eyes locked on the Blade Ship, but I warily opened the channel. A sleek and feminine, but male, Andalite appeared on the screen.

I was taken aback by the image. An Andalite? On a Yeerk ship? What was going on?

((Ah, you must be _Prince_ Aximili,)) the Andalite said warmly, his voice dripping with false courtesy as he addressed me by my formal title. ((The heroic little Andalite who helped lead the backwards and primitive humans to victory over the hated and despicable Yeerks. Yes, you are quite the hero. It's no _wonder_ you are so admired.)) His voice was full of mocking admiration, layered over barely concealed disgust.

Something didn't seem right about this. How had he known who I was? Had he recognized me? Or had he somehow found out about my mission?

As he spoke, his eyes seemed to bore into me from across the space between our ships. I felt an uncomfortable tingling at the back of my neck, the creeping feeling that I was being scrutinized at a level I could not comprehend. It was a mental itch that seemed to burn its way into my thoughts.

I tried to move, to look away from those eyes, but I found myself paralyzed under his gaze.

((Who are you?)) I asked. ((What are you?))

((My name is Yenlin seven-hundred-and-five,)) he said, a smile in his eyes.

I felt like I'd been slapped. Yeerk! He was a Yeerk! This Yeerk scum, this filthy creature, had trapped himself in morph as an _Andalite_! I wanted to reach through the screen with my tail and ram it through his smug face. ((Yeerk filth!)) I raged. ((How dare you take an Andalite body! How dare you defile my people with your slime! Filth! You are not worthy to be crushed under our hooves!))

For a brief moment, he looked hurt. ((Is it really I who is the evil one?)) he retorted, his thought-speak voice ringing with false innocence. ((Your own people are the ones who _allowed_ me to defile them, to touch them, to take their DNA. They caressed my slime, they willingly _gave_ themselves to me. All for a few small favors on my part.)) The Yeerk smiled as he sensed my revulsion. He shrugged in mock helplessness. ((I am not evil. I only take opportunities where they happen to arise in front of me.))

I seethed, furious that this Yeerk had the nerve to mock my people with such impunity. I tried to reach forward, to fire my weapons at the Blade Ship again, but I found that I could not reach the controls, even though they were only inches away. Somehow, I could not force my hands to cross that tiny distance. My arms were paralyzed, unresponsive to my will.

((What have you done to me?)) I screamed, horrified, as my utter helplessness slowly dawned on me. ((What Yeerk treachery is this?))

((Ah, I see you've finally figured it out,)) Yenlin said, still smiling that terrible smile. ((Yes, these mind-control devices are _quite_ treacherous, aren't they?))

((Mind control!)) I screamed, furious, my blood boiling, yet utterly helpless to do anything about it. How dare he? How dare that filthy Yeerk control _me_!

((Feel the deadly union of Arn technology and Yeerk power!)) Yenlin taunted. ((How do you like it, Andalite? It is only a pity that I no longer possess my own true form, for a _true_ Yeerk wielding this incredible psychic bond would be all but unstoppable! I would have led armies!)) He pumped a fist into the air to emphasize his point. ((Still, I am more than powerful enough for you,)) he added smoothly. He seemed amused, as he watched me struggle against his control for a moment, and then admonished, ((There is really no point in resisting, you know.))

With that, he limbered up his tail, and I felt my own tail mimicking his movements. Suddenly, without warning-

FWAPP!

His tail arced forward, and mine, a mirror image of his, curved up over my head and came down in front of me. But he stopped his own tail in mid-swing, yet mine did not stop.

CRASH!

The blade of my tail plunged into the controls in front of me, tearing through metal and wires. I felt a pulse of electricity surge through my muscles, and the flickering lights of the control panels began to dim.

((NO!)) I screamed. ((Stop! Yeerk filth! Scum! You will pay for this!)) But I was completely powerless to stop him. I was his puppet, utterly at his mercy.

Again and again, my tail whipped forward, destroying more and more of the controls of the grid-ship. I could hear the whine of the engines as they began to flicker and fade, their power leaking away.

Finally, with a sickening lurch, the grid-ship's power simply gave out, and I plummeted towards the ground.

I looked up through the windows as I fell, and watched helplessly as the Blade Ship flew upward and away from my own doomed craft, listing slightly to the side and smoking from the hole I had inflicted. I couldn't help but smile at my own small and brief victory, despite that I knew myself to be doomed.

Finally feeling my own body return to me, I looked frantically for any working controls I could find, anything that could save me. But my blade had spared nothing. Everything was smoking and in ruins.

My ship slowly turned as it plummeted towards the ground. Soon my window was facing downward, and I watched the barren Hork-Bajir wastelands leap up to crush me. I could briefly see a green valley, just at the edge of my view, and then even that disappeared beyond the quickly-growing horizon.

I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath to still my hearts. I would not let the fear of death overcome me. That, at least, was one small victory that I still had the power to deny that Yeerk scum. I could still die with honor.

((I am the servant of the People,)) I began, calmly reciting the ritual of death. ((I am the servant of my prince. I am the servant of honor. My life is not my own, when-))

* * *

bonbon: Yeah, you're right about the Yeerks thinking differently this time around. I've been trying to hint at that to some degree with Shaliph's chapters, and you'll see a lot more of that emotionality later. And it will be explained why that is. If not in this book, then definitely in my next one.

And no, Erek is not psychic. He wasn't referring to Cassie and Jake. You'll see what he was talking about later.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 (Cassie)

I was helpless. Completely, utterly, helpless. I could hear my own tiny, fragile bones snapping one by one as the tiger bit down on my body. I could feel pain, burning, white-hot pain as his fangs tore my delicate wing membranes.

I was a bat. A bat in the mouth of the tiger.

((Haha, this is too perfect,)) Jake crowed to me. ((Little Cassie, pathetic Cassie, a helpless little rodent in the big kitty's mouth.))

No, I told myself, that was not Jake. Whatever evil creature was controlling him, taking his voice, making him say things that he never meant to say.

I could already feel the next morph progressing. My fur ran together. My skin hardened into an exoskeleton.

Oh god. An insect! I was becoming an insect!

((No, no, no, no!)) I yelled frantically. I had to stop the morph! Had to! If I morphed to insect, Jake would crush me!

I tried to clamp down on my fear. But it was hard. The bat's instincts were screeching out of control. The bat was screaming. _I_ was screaming. But my cries came out as faint, high-pitched squeaks that only a bat could hear.

_Predator! Predator! Fly! Fly!_

I flapped my melting, shifting wings, which only sent another flare of pain through my shredded membrane.

I forced myself to breathe. To ignore the pain and the fear. I had to calm down. There was no other choice. Breathe. Slowly. In. Out. I had to relax. Don't think about it. Think of something else.

I was not here. I was somewhere else. Somewhere far away. At home. I was at the home where I used to live, back in another lifetime. In the barn. My barn. Comforting one of our horses. Cooing to it. Letting the panicked creature know that everything would be alright. Everything would be alright.

Somehow, miraculously, I managed to reverse the morph. I morphed back to bat.

But there was nothing more I could do. I couldn't demorph. Jake's jaws would crush me if I grew to human size.

Stay calm, that was it. All I could do. Don't think about the pain. Don't think about the hot breath that I could feel, washing over my body with each panting breath that the tiger took, reminding me of how utterly at this Yeerk's mercy that I was.

I looked around, at the battle that still surrounded me. I saw a Hork-Bajir that had to be Marco, fighting two others. I saw him glance briefly at me, and I could practically see the wheels in his head turning. He was wondering why Jake had not released me. But he could not turn his attention from the battle for more than a split second, as more Hork-Bajir descended upon him, forcing him to defend himself.

Then, something else caught my eye. Just at the edge of my vision, behind Jake. A human. A little older than me, with black hair, a short beard, and a rugged, powerful build. His hazel eyes were locked onto Jake like a vice, his movements subtly mirroring those of the tiger.

Jake spoke again, and now I could see that the man behind him was moving his mouth in time to Jake's words. The movement was very slight, hardly noticeable unless you were looking for it, but it was there.

((Marco! Tobias!)) Jake's thought-speak voice suddenly declared to everyone in the room, and I could hear in his voice that he had dropped the pretense of trying to sound like Jake. Marco and Tobias heard the change too, judging from their shocked and bewildered expressions.

The battlefield suddenly fell silent and still, as everyone, Yeerk and Animorph alike, seemed to be waiting for Jake to continue.

((You will leave this place peacefully,)) the Yeerk stated. ((Right now. Or your friend Cassie dies. I only have to bite down, and she will die. We don't want a fight. All we want is to be left alone. Just leave, and you will not be harmed. I give you my word.))

He tightened his grip on me, and I let out another shrill scream as pain lanced through my wing. The message was clear. The Yeerk would make good on his threat. He would kill me, if he needed to.

But I could swear I sensed a certain hesitance there, too. As though he didn't really want to hurt me. As though he were only doing this because he had no other choice. No . . . it was probably just my imagination, rebelling against the very idea of Jake wishing me harm.

I couldn't see Marco anymore at that point, but I saw Tobias immediately freeze in mid-air. ((What!)) he shrieked, shocked. ((Why are you . . . )) He trailed off as he put the pieces together. ((Yeerk filth!)) he screamed when he figured it out. ((I'll kill you! Where are you? Show yourself!))

Jake's voice only laughed. ((Come now,)) he said. ((Why should I do a thing like that?))

I stayed silent. Hopeful, yet afraid. Keeping quiet so that my voice would not betray what I could see, what was sneaking up behind the black-haired man.

I was the only one who could see what was about to happen.

Quick as lightning, Marco's Hork-Bajir blade drew a bright red line across the black-haired man's throat. The man slumped, the life already fading from his eyes before he hit the ground.

Two things happened then. Jake's body shivered, free from the mind control, and he said, ((Cassie, I'm so sorry, I-))

But he was interrupted by a piercing cry.

"NOOOOO!" a shrill, pain-stricken voice wailed. A young girl ran through the silent battlefield, shoving her way past Hork-Bajir, heedless of their razor-edged blades. "Korash, Korash!" she moaned, tears streaming from her eyes as she knelt beside his lifeless body.

Nobody moved. The everyone was silent as this little girl mourned the death of a Yeerk.

The girl was a Yeerk too, of course. I knew that. And yet . . . something in me couldn't help seeing her as a human. Never had I seen this kind of emotion from a Yeerk. Never before had I seen a Yeerk cry.

"You monster! Murderer!" she shouted at Marco between sobs. Spat at him, a globule of spit landing on a Hork-Bajir toe. "You will pay for this! I will kill you! I'll kill you! I swear it! I'll kill all of you!" she screeched. Marco could have easily eliminated her, of course, but something seemed to hold him back.

"We have nothing left, nothing!" the girl went on, cradling Korash's lifeless head in her arms, her voice breaking as she spoke. "Nothing! We've _already_ lost everything because of you! We _are_ nothing! Soon, we will be no more than a memory. No, not even that. We will be forgotten, erased, purged from history like a blemish from _your_ perfect little world."

I gasped, shocked. I'd quickly demorphed during the distraction, and I was even now morphing at top speed to wolf. Nobody had seemed to notice me. But even as I morphed, I couldn't help but hear the girl's words.

So _this_ was why the Yeerks were here. This was why they needed this last stand. I, who could understand motives better than any of my friends, immediately saw what it was that the Yeerks really wanted.

Identity. That was all they wanted. These Yeerks no longer knew what they were, who they were, and they were fighting for nothing more than to _be_. To be what they thought they _had_ to be. To be remembered as what they were.

And who was I, to deny them that one shred of dignity that was all they had left?

The young girl looked down at Korash, and closed her eyes for a second or two. "_We're_ fighting for our freedom, too, you know," she whispered, but with emphasis. "We have the right! We have the right to be who we are! We have the right to be remembered!"

She stood, shaking with grief, but still somehow strong. "Korash _died_ for our freedom! Let him be remembered! He, who found his life's purpose in our cause! Let us not be ashamed of what we are! Let us take back what is ours! For freedom!" And across the battlefield, her cry was echoed, as Hork-Bajir and humans shouted "For freedom!"

"Let it be known that we are Yeerks, and that we will not be forgotten!" the little girl shouted, and the Yeerks, in unison, let out a savage cry. A terrifying, unified battle cry.

I was a wolf again. And that was all that saved me, as the battle roared to life once again, this time with even more fury than before. Enraged and determined Hork-Bajir shouted "For freedom! For Korash!" and descended upon me in a whirl of slashing blades and vengeful fury.

* * *

First off, because I don't say this nearly often enough, thank you to each and every one of my dedicated reviewers! Every person who reviews this story is awesome! You guys give me the energy to keep going!

bonbon: Ax was commanding the ship alone because he was supposed to be all discreet and such. They didn't want to send in any more Andalites than absolutely necessary, since there weren't supposed to be any Andalites involved in the first place. And, if he's by himself, that looks much less professional, thus appears less "sanctioned." Yeah, probably not a great reason, but it _was_ initially supposed to be more of an infiltration mission, not a blow-em-up mission.

And, why, yes. Defecting Andalites, indeed. Well, you see, I figure there's going to be unscrupulous members of any species ('cept maybe Pemalites), and Yenlin just so happens to be very skilled at finding people of that particular nature.

Anthiena: Ax wasn't on an Andalite ship. He was on a Sstram ship. Much more primitive, but necessary for his cover.

That's still a valid point, though, that this was similar to how he came to earth, and no, actually, that similarity wasn't intentional. But it's an interesting parallel nonetheless.

EDIT: Thanks to Rachel9466, for spotting the error in this chapter. This website always seems to mess things up whenever I upload anything. Normally I can catch it and fix it, but this time it got past my radar.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 (Ax)

I awoke, my head throbbing, to find myself staring up at a black sky filled with the bright pinpoints of stars. Too bright, even. They hurt my head when I tried to focus on them. My vision was blurry, my thoughts confused. Where was I? How did I get here?

My breath felt strained, as if there wasn't enough air. I quickly began to feel dizzy, as the air caught painfully in my chest with each breath, my brain unable to obtain sufficient oxygen. I tried to hold on to consciousness, but I was fading, fading . . .

I blacked out again. I don't know for how long.

But I was jolted back to wakefulness again by the sudden realization of where I was. Yenlin! The Blade Ship! The Hork-Bajir home world, a crash, and then . . . blackness. Yes, I remembered, now.

And I had landed outside the valleys, in the utterly inhospitable wastelands of the Hork-Bajir planet. Where the air was too thin to support life. Where the Hork-Bajir sun floated like an outsider in a starry 'night' sky, no atmosphere to conceal the cosmos.

I had to . . . I had to get to the valley that I had seen during my crash. But it was so much easier just to lie there, to lie there staring at the stars above me, and forget about everything else.

What had I been thinking about again?

Did it matter? It would be so easy to just forget . . .

I caught myself, just as I was about to lose consciousness for a third time. NO! I shook my head vigorously. No, I couldn't sleep. If I lost consciousness again, I would never wake up. I would slowly suffocate in this thin atmosphere, while possibly also freezing to death.

It was strange, though. I didn't _feel_ cold, even though on some level I knew that I _was_ cold.

I didn't feel _anything_, really.

I realized that I was injured. But I couldn't feel the pain of my left hind leg, even though it was obviously broken. Nor could I feel the gash across my left side. All of that was happening to someone else, far away.

I forced myself to get up, each motion feeling like I weighed a thousand pounds. The effort made me feel light-headed, and I had to struggle once more to stay conscious in the dangerously thin air.

Could I morph? And what morph would help me in this place? Everything needed to breathe. And did I have the strength to morph, even if I'd had a morph that could help?

So I resigned myself to simply walking forward. In the direction that I hoped the valley lay. Careful to keep my weight off of my left hind leg.

Out of some corner of my hazy consciousness, I noted the wreckage of the Sstram grid-ship. It had truly been a miracle that I had survived the crash. The ship had been shredded by the impact, scattered into shrapnel that now littered the Hork-Bajir wasteland.

But I could not stop to think about how lucky I had been. I needed air! Air! Air!

Panicking, my breaths came faster, shorter, gasping for whatever paltry oxygen that there was to be had. My vision faded as my heart rate jumped, and I barely managed to remain standing.

((Walk. Think of nothing else,)) I told myself, talking to keep myself awake. ((There will be air when I get there. Put one hoof in front of the other. Then another. Simply keep walking. Do not stop.))

Step by tedious step, I managed to stumble and limp towards the place where I thought I had seen the valley. My legs grew stiff from the cold, and my vision flickered in and out, until I was forced to walk over ground that I could barely even see. I fell numerous times, and every time it was a nearly impossible feat of will to force my uncooperative body to stand again. But somehow, every time, I did.

After what seemed like an eternity, I saw a flash of green! Air was just ahead!

I practically galloped forward, tripped when I forgot about my injured leg, forced myself up again, only staying conscious in the thin atmosphere by sheer force of will.

I was moving at a reckless pace, the effort of that movement threatening to kill me with every second that passed, as I used up precious oxygen that my aching lungs could not replace.

Yet still the flash of green barely grew. I felt no closer to the valley than I had been when I'd first seen it.

And my recklessness was taking its toll. My legs shuddered beneath me, barely able to carry my weight. My vision was dark, barely able to see more than a blurred night-scape, even though I knew the landscape around me should have been brightly lit by the sun high above. A sun which was now barely more than a pinpoint of light to my eyes.

But I had to make it! I _had_ to! No one would be there to rescue me if I fell to the ground and never got up. No one would find my body. No one would mourn me here.

That thought kept me going.

Over ridges, around craters. And every obstacle cost me precious effort and oxygen that I could not afford to waste.

Then, after an eternity of eternities, one last hill, a ridge that blocked me from the valley, from the precious oxygen that my lungs screamed for!

My aching limbs no longer possessed the strength to keep me upright. On my knees, I climbed, pulling myself forward with hands and legs and pushing myself forward with my powerful tail, digging the blade into the rock and shoving with all my might. Dragging myself along much like the lowly earth creature called a lizard.

My limbs felt like they were frozen solid. My vision, pitch black. I was blind. I could not feel, I could not see, but I kept pulling myself forward, blindly trusting that there was still ground underneath me.

And then . . .

That ground ended. I suddenly fell forward, rolling and rolling down a steep, rocky slope. Into warmth. Into air!

But relief was mixed with panic as I rolled and rolled and rolled, unable to stop. Down and down and down!

Falling forever!

I felt the rocks change to grass under me. Felt the air grow warmer and thicker, my breaths coming more and more easily as I continued to fall.

I finally stopped rolling when I hit a wall. My vision slowly cleared, and I could see that it was not a wall, it was the trunk of a tree. That tree held me there, allowing me to rise, shaking, to my hooves.

The warmth of the valley seared my frozen body. It was painful, being cold for so long and then feeling warmth again. Like I was on fire!

And then I realized that much of the pain was coming from my left side. From my broken leg, and from my wound, which was still slowly oozing blood.

Finding the strength now to morph, I quickly morphed to human, and then back to Andalite to repair my injuries.

I descended into the valley, whole again, breathing deeply, drinking in beautiful oxygen! Oh, how wonderful it felt to be alive! Beautiful life! Delicious air! Glorious warmth!

But, as I descended the sharp slope of the valley, I now had time to think about everything that had happened.

I had failed.

I had failed my people, my prince, and perhaps even every sentient species in the galaxy. The Blade Ship, and Yenlin, had escaped, along with the technology that could allow the Yeerks to rebuild their former empire, perhaps even more formidable than ever before.

That realization cooled my jubilation somewhat.

I should have anticipated Yenlin's tactics. I shouldn't have fired on a Blade Ship without a plan. I should have realized that he might use the mind-control device against me.

Should have, should have.

No matter, I thought. Yenlin would not get far. I would make sure of that. I would make the Yeerk regret ever crossing paths with me.

If I had to lead my friends into the depths of space, if I had to march with them into a new war, I would do that and more. Vengeance would be mine. I would punish the filthy Yeerk who dared to take an Andalite body, who dared to make fools of my people. Who dared to control _me_.

My tail blade twitching with anticipation, I galloped deeper and deeper into the valley, to where I knew my friends were hidden, in the Arn cities. I would find them, and when I did, a new war would begin, and I would make those filthy Yeerk scum pay for their crimes.

It was a long trek, made longer by the slope. The ungainly angle made my legs ache after a while, just from maintaining my precarious balance as I trotted forward at such a steep downward pitch. I eventually decided to morph to Hork-Bajir, after which point the slope no longer mattered as I leaped into the trees.

I could just vaguely recall the coordinates from which Jake's message had been sent. Impossible to find without the proper equipment, of course. But it gave me a general idea of where to look. I swung through the trees in my Hork-Bajir morph, down and down, towards the Deep.

Yes, I thought to myself, I would correct my mistake. And I would make Yenlin pay.

* * *

Sorry I delayed so much on this one. Life's been busy, what with job searching and a sick kitty to deal with. I suppose that's no excuse to leave you with the cliffhanger that I did, but seriously, you guys didn't actually think I was going to let Ax die that easily, did you?


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 (Tobias)

The battle waged on, furious as ever. The young girl's words had stirred her fellow Yeerks into a frenzy, and even the wounded and bleeding Hork-Bajir, who knew they were doomed, still fought, willing to sacrifice themselves for victory.

((This isn't working!)) Jake shouted, frustrated, as the frenzied Hork-Bajir hemmed him in. ((Tobias, if you can get away, get to the computers and start doing some damage! The rest of us will try to keep the Yeerks at bay!))

I flapped my Kelbrid wings, drawing back from the conflict. What I saw, from my vantage point, was not comforting. My friends were heavily wounded, and the floor was slicked with blood from both sides.

And I was not without injuries of my own. A long gash ran down my left leg, and my right leg was missing altogether, sliced off at the knee, a stump oozing blood.

I didn't know if Jake, Cassie, and Marco would be able to hold back the tide of fevered Yeerks for long, but Jake was right. There was no choice.

I flew deeper into the long room, past stone walls lined with instruments. I had no idea what I was looking for, and as I flew, Dracon beams blazed past me. I couldn't stay in one place for more than a second or two, or I would be shot down.

I saw a cluster of instruments that looked important, and descended, striking with my remaining talon, hitting a few monitors with my razor-bladed wings. An electric charge swept up my leg, shocking me, but I shook it off and rose back into the air before the angry hordes of Hork-Bajir could mob me. The crackling ruins of electronic equipment were left in my wake, but it was not enough.

Again and again, I flew, up away from slashing blades, and down wherever I saw a brief opening, to destroy whatever I could find.

As the battle went on, I noticed that the fighting was beginning to draw away from Jake and the others, and more and more Hork-Bajir were coming towards me. Good. If they were trying to stop me, that meant that I was going in the right direction.

But it also meant that it was harder and harder to keep wreaking my destruction without making a careless mistake.

"Die, Animorph!" someone shouted. Not a Hork-Bajir, a human that had grabbed a large and unwieldy piece of shrapnel from a terminal I had already destroyed, and was now wielding it as a weapon. He brought it down on my wing right as I was bringing my wing up, and the combined force came down on the limb with a loud CRACK! A spike of pain shot through me, and I realized that the wing had been broken.

"Aaaaiiii!" I shrieked, a Kelbrid cry of pain and shock. Losing my balance, I fell from the air, now at the mercy at the furious horde. Balanced on my one good talon, no longer able to wield it as a weapon. Surrounded!

I beat my wings, even as my broken wing sent flares of pain through me, as my wings were now my only means of self-defense. I left dozens of shallow gashes on everything my razor-edged wings touched, but it wasn't enough! Still the Hork-Bajir, and weapon-wielding humans, hemmed me in!

((Jake! Marco! Cassie!)) I yelled. ((I need backup! Soon!))

((We're coming!)) a voice yelled back from far away. ((Hang on!))

The floor around me was wet with my own black Kelbrid blood. I swung my wings, again and again, and clawed at my attackers with sharp Kelbrid fingers, but there were too many!

Then, a Hork-Bajir that I recognized began slashing through the crazed mob. Marco! ((Hang on, Tobias, the others are coming!)) he assured me.

The realization that they were being attacked from behind drew some of the attackers off of me as they began to fight Marco, and I was able to slip away, using my good leg in unison with my good wing to half-hop, half-fly away.

And then, I saw it. The one place in the entire room that was still guarded, surrounded by the only four Hork-Bajir who were not engaged in battle. They knew that I saw them, and tensed, holding their blades at the ready, as if daring me to face them.

((Marco!)) I gasped, knowing that I couldn't fight four more Hork-Bajir on my own. ((That console, in the corner there! It's the only one that's still being guarded! That's the one we have to destroy!))

Marco began to back up towards the corner that I had indicated, but the battle followed him.

((Jake, Cassie!)) he yelled. ((Where are you guys? Tobias found the computer, but we need all the help we can get!))

A tiger and a wolf leapt from the fray, running at breakneck pace, just ahead of the Dracon beams of their pursuers. My acute Kelbrid sense of smell was overpowered by the stench of singed fur, and I saw that Jake's tail was burned off, a stump, and more burns criss-crossed his torso. His shoulder was still pumping blood from where the Yeerk had forced him to bite himself.

((Well, come on!)) Jake said, as he blazed ahead of Marco and me, deadly red light and smoke at his heels.

I followed as fast as I could, but Hork-Bajir and humans rushed to get in front of us, blocking our way. The Yeerks knew where we were headed, and they were more determined than ever to stop us.

"For Korash!" a Hork-Bajir yelled as he fearlessly plunged a blade into my side, heedless of my flapping, razor-bladed wings. I screamed in pain, but kept going. I couldn't stop, even though I had lost so much blood at that point that my head felt dangerously faint. But I couldn't stop. We had to make it, or this would all have been for nothing!

Jake got there first, bounding over Hork-Bajir and landing directly on top of the console. He opened his mouth, looking for something, anything to bite and rip apart, but his teeth found no purchase on the smooth metal.

Cassie arrived second, her fur already matted with blood and a Dracon burn that came frighteningly close to her neck. She took the task of covering Jake, keeping the Hork-Bajir at bay, while Jake swiped ineffectually at the console with his claws.

Marco swung his arm towards the computer, but even his Hork-Bajir blades glanced off of the hard surface, leaving barely more than a scratch.

I was still far away, blocked by a wall of Hork-Bajir. Jake and Cassie, close as they were to the console, were no longer being shot at, for fear of hitting the precious computer. I was in the open, though, and a much slower target. It was only a matter of time until-

TSEEEEW!

My good wing! It hadn't been sliced all the way through, but a large piece of it was now only hanging by a few sinews.

But that had given me an idea. I bounded toward the human that had fired at me, and, ignoring the searing pain in both my wings, flapped for all I was worth. Yes, yes, I was airborne! Not by much, but just enough. I leaped through the air towards the man with the Dracon, and powered my injured and screaming wings to take me as high as I could get, raking the man with my one remaining talon, leaving him clutching at his bleeding face.

I grabbed the Dracon and yelled ((Jake, Cassie, Marco, get back!))They jumped away from the console. I fired. And fired, and fired until that console was a molten heap of slag. And then, just for good measure, I swept the beam around the room, taking out every piece of equipment I could see.

When I was done, when the entire Arn laboratory lay in ruins, Jake yelled, ((BAIL!)) He and Cassie and Marco pushed past stunned Hork-Bajir and humans. Running for all they were worth towards the exit.

But we almost didn't even have to fight our way out at all. The change was so sudden that we may as well have flipped a switch. The Yeerks were defeated now, worn out, crushed. Everything that they had been fighting so fervently for, was gone.

But as I left, I heard the voice of that mourning girl, her voice low, but still clearly audible over the sudden silence. "This isn't the end of us, Animorphs. You have not won anything this day. The Yeerk Empire will return, and we will be greater than we were before. We will take this entire galaxy, and we will lead armies of slaves, and we will crush you under our heels like insects. We will destroy you like the pathetic tools of the Andalites that you are. Mark my words, we will rise again. We will rise again!"

And I felt a shiver go up my spine as I limped into the unnatural light of the Arn valley. Even though we had won, I could not suppress the strange feeling that her terrible vision would still come to pass.

* * *

Sorry it's taken me so long to update (again). I do have a legitimate excuse though. You know that sick kitty I mentioned last time? Well, turns out his kidneys had failed, and there was nothing we could do. So he had to be put down.

I'm mostly over it now, so nobody needs to offer sympathy or anything. I'm just mentioning it because it kind of shook me out of my writing groove for a while, and it's always hard to find inspiration again after something like that.

Anyway, enough bad news. Today is my birthday! And I'm celebrating by posting a chapter! Whoohoo!

Thanks, everyone, for all the great reviews! You guys always help to pull me out of a bad mood. I'll try my best to reward you guys with more prompt updates (heh, famous last words).


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 (Rachel)

It was a long and boring wait, made all the longer by the persistent worry that my friends might be hurt. It was the ultimate helplessness, knowing my friends were in battle, but not being able to do anything even if they were in trouble.

Just as I was beginning to wish that I had overridden Nenan's wishes and gone into battle anyway, another Hork-Bajir walked into the cavern. He looked at Erek, and nodded like the two of them knew each other. He didn't seem to have noticed me yet, behind the force field as I was.

As I watched, the Hork-Bajir began to shift and change, growing blue fur and four legs. It was an Andalite! And not just _any_ Andalite, either . . .

"Ax!" I shouted excitedly. He jumped, his awkward, mid-morphed body causing him to lose his balance. He quickly righted himself, and suspiciously asked, ((Who are you, Hork-Bajir? How do you know me?))

I paused, realizing that he wouldn't believe me if I told the truth. Heck, _I_ wouldn't believe me. And Quahyliera wasn't here to help me explain, having gone to deactivate the Gleet biofilter for my friends.

But Erek seemed to sense my hesitation, and said, "It's Rachel. Rachel's _Ixcila_, in any case. An Arn found her. Apparently Quafijinivon had taken her _Ixcila_ without her knowledge, for reasons that we may never know."

Ax, fully demorphed now, simply stood there, shocked into silence. He knew that Erek wouldn't lie about this, but he didn't seem to know how to respond to the news.

"Ax, it's me," I assured him. Anything to fill that eerie, chilling silence. "Come on, say something!"

((I have nothing to say,)) he finally said. ((This . . . this was a human decision,)) he said, almost as if trying to justify my existance to himself, although his disgust seemed barely concealed. ((The decision to create you . . . it would have been a reprehensible one, to any Andalite. An affront to basic honor and dignity. But you are not Andalite. So I have nothing to say.))

My jaw dropped. Did he really say what I thought he said? That he didn't approve of the fact that I even existed?

"Hey, I'm not the one who made the call!" I said angrily. "I didn't exactly choose to exist this way, did I?"

Ax seemed to wince. ((No, I suppose you did not. I apologize. I will speak to Jake and the others of this, you can be sure. Are they still engaged in battle?))

"Yeah, they-"

But I was interrupted by the sound of panting, magnified by the walls of the cave, as a tiger, a wolf, a Hork-Bajir, and the creature that Tobias had called a Kelbrid limped into the cave, battered and broken and covered with blood.

The battle had obviously not gone well.

They began to demorph the moment they were safe within the confines of the cave, their injuries mercifully healing over.

"Ax! It's good to see you," Jake greeted. "How did your half of the mission go?"

Ax stiffened. He spoke quietly, but with a definite edge in his voice, ((I . . . I have failed, Prince Jake. I was only able to damage the Blade Ship, before my own ship was destroyed.)) Another silent pause, but it was obvious that he wasn't finished speaking. He seemed tense. On edge.

Definitely unusual. Ax was not an emotional guy.

((I must deeply apologize for this terrible failure, my prince, even though mere words cannot right this wrong,)) he said, all four eyes staring steadfastly at the floor. His words were humble, but his voice still carried a subtle, almost unnoticeable, undertone of anger. At the Yeerks? At himself? Or both? ((I know what my failure means for humanity, and for the rest of the universe.))

Jake sighed, and crossed his arms. "And that means we have failed, too. Our battle was for nothing, if the Yeerks have anything that allows them to rebuild what they lost. They can easily replace the devices we destroyed."

Ax closed all four of his eyes, looking thoroughly ashamed. But, again, there was that subtle edge to his expression. That tightly controlled anger.

Whatever it was he was going through, it scared me. Ax almost _never_ showed his emotions. If something could get to Ax like this, then it had to be bad. Very bad.

When Ax finally opened his eyes again, he scanned the faces in the room with his stalk eyes. ((If I may be so bold to ask, whose decision was it to restore Rachel?)) he asked quietly but accusingly, changing the subject.

"Mine," Cassie answered. "I made the call before Jake got here."

"No, no, it was mine," another voice said. It was Quahyliera, just now limping back from the battle, a few light scratches leaking a bright blue fluid that I guessed had to be Arn blood. "I ressurrected Rachel, before I knew whose _Ixcila_ it was. Cassie only made the decision to give her a new body."

Ax's eyes widened in renewed anger and shock. ((What!)) he shouted at Cassie, suddenly furious, his tail raising about an inch and a half. ((You, with the help of this Arn . . . am I to understand that you created life? For no other reason than to be possessed by this _Ixcila_! Any proper council of law should put you on trial for your life for this!)) After a second or two, he lowered his tail, but he didn't take his eyes off of Cassie.

Cassie gasped in shock and sudden guilt, and she took a step back as if she'd been slapped. "Ax . . . " she started. "How can you say that? How can you be against Rachel-" But then she suddenly doubled over, gasping for breath. I stepped forward, towards the force field, unable to come to her side, but worried for her all the same.

As we all stared in horror and shock, I saw that something was growing from Cassie's back. A leg!

The _hereth illint_ was happening.

Cassie was shaking now. Her skin began to shift to grey, and she began to grow, as her fear and uncertainty and guilt triggered her to start morphing. And now a hand, followed by an arm, had appeared next to the leg, and both were already beginning to wave around frantically, panicked. Like the person emerging was drowning in Cassie's flesh.

It was a jarring, nightmarish image. I felt the bile rise in my own throat. Ax recoiled, all four eyes turned away, and Marco took a shaky step back, but Jake had rushed forward to hold Cassie's hand through the transformation. But she was still morphing, her hand withering, becoming a fin.

A face emerged in Cassie's growing back. A head rose up behind the face, and pulled free from Cassie. The head looked around like she was seeing the world for the first time.

Her face . . . it was the same face I saw in the mirror every day. That was _me_. I couldn't shake that bizarre feeling, that it was somehow _me_ crawling and fighting my way out of Cassie. Me, but terrified and confused, a blank slate being bombarded with all the experiences of a brand-new world.

All of that emotion, the fear and wonder and horror, was clear in her eyes as she looked around at the cave, at my friends, and at me. She recoiled from the sight of me, fearsome bladed alien creature that I was.

This strange yet familiar person pressed her free arm against Cassie's back, and shoved with all her might. She pulled herself away from the sea of blubbery skin that was Cassie.

The new Rachel seemed to be scared of Cassie more than anything else, struggling and pushing her still-forming body away from the flesh of the whale that held her captive. Cassie was still morphing, ballooning out to her full humpback whale size, nearly filling the cave as Jake, Ax, Tobias, and Marco quickly moved out of her way.

A torso appeared. A second arm. Finally, the last leg appeared, and she fell, rolling off of the whale's back. Cassie, free from her allergy, immediately began to reverse the morph. The new Rachel looked on in horror and shock as she watched Cassie's form shift and melt, and then she turned and ran for her life.

She didn't get far. Her untested, unfamiliar legs gave out from under her, sending her plowing into the ground. Not even knowing how to catch herself when she fell, she simply hit the ground, head first, and knocked herself unconscious.

I felt like I was going to be sick. That was me, my body. But I hadn't been expecting it to be a living creature in its own right. I had pictured a lifeless thing that I would simply inhabit. But this . . . oh god, Ax was right. This was wrong.

Yet Jake was already dragging the unconscious body towards me, almost eagerly, as if he saw nothing wrong with any of this. "Rachel, you ready?" he asked.

There was no turning back now. After all, it wasn't like I could live in Nenan forever. He was a sentient being who deserved better than that. I would be no better than a Yeerk if I insisted on taking his life from him.

And, as repulsive as this decision was, it had already been made. This empty shell of a person, this tortured creature, had been created for me. She could have no life other than what we had planned for her.

I was no longer capable of life on my own, I realized. And so my options were this, or return to death.

And I wanted to live!

So I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat, and I said, "Let's do it."

* * *

Okay, to try to make up for all the times I made you guys wait so long for updates, I'm gonna try and give you a few early ones for a change. Fingers crossed that nothing happens to me for a while.

Rachel9466: Yeah, the book is winding down. Four more chapters after this. And yes, there will be a cliffhanger. Actually, to tell you a little secret, you have all the information already to figure out what the cliffhanger's going to be . . . it's just a matter of putting it all together before the Animorphs do.

Bonbon: I'm guessing they didn't kill the Yeerks because, surrendered or not, they still outnumbered them, and the Animorphs were too badly injured to try and start another fight. That, and maybe they didn't think they needed to.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 (Marco)

I couldn't look at her. Rachel. Yet not Rachel. I couldn't look at either of them. The Hork-Bajir or the human. One was only a memory, the other an empty shell.

And yet, Jake was eager to go through with this. Far too eager. How could he not see how wrong this was? Was he really that messed up over Rachel's death, that he would go this far to bring her back? It was wrong. This whole situation was so far past wrong.

Jake was insane. And not just the kind of insane that I always used to joke about before going on a bad mission. I mean _really_ insane. The kind you go to an asylum for. I think he'd actually, finally just lost it. The mental strain of having even a tiny ray of hope, after there had been none, seemed to have broken whatever sense of right and wrong he'd still had left after the war.

But I didn't say anything about it. I _couldn't_. I was the minority, here. Tobias and Cassie may not have been as delusional as Jake was, but they all wanted Rachel back for their own reasons. Ax was the only one still on my side.

And Rachel? I could tell that she thought this was wrong, too. I had heard the hesitation in her voice when she'd agreed to it. But she was still going to go along with it.

Can't say I blame her. When it comes down to it, everyone would rather live than die.

That doesn't always make it right, though.

I watched in cold silence as we all gathered around Rachel, who had finally been freed of the Arn's force field. Ax and I stayed back from the rest of the group, an unspoken agreement between us that we would not have any part in what was about to happen.

As they made the final preparations, Quahyliera reminded Rachel to be sure that she went towards the right body, and Rachel hesitantly nodded.

The shell of Rachel's body was just beginning to stir, ever so slightly, as it began to come back to consciousness. We had dressed it in a spare morphing suit, and laid it down in front of Rachel.

I hoped it didn't wake up before this was all over. Seeing the shell of Rachel's body, alive and confused and afraid, gave me the willies.

We all watched, as Quahyliera held out the bottle that Rachel's _Ixcila_ would return to before it could enter her new body. Watched as Nenan slumped slightly and shook his head, once again free within his own mind. The liquid in Quahyliera's bottle turned red, then faded to a brilliant gold when Rachel's essence was returned to the liquid inside the bottle.

That sent yet another chill down my spine. The thought of Rachel, trapped inside that bottle. _What must it be like_, I wondered, _to know that you are nothing except your own thoughts and memories swimming around in a few drops of chemicals?_

Not a pleasant thought.

Fortunately, it didn't last for long. Next thing I knew, the Arn was chanting, "We call on Rachel Berenson," over and over, her voice imbued with all of the force of will that she possessed. The unconscious thing that looked like Rachel jerked involuntarily, and then moaned, as if in pain. Not a human sound, but a strange, animal moan. Then it seemed to be fighting to regain consciousness, almost as though it was trapped in a nightmare.

Finally, with a sudden start, her eyes burst open, and I could see that Rachel was in command of the mind.

There was no taking it back now. For better or for worse, Rachel was back.

Jake smiled with smug satisfaction, and clapped the new Rachel on the shoulder. "Welcome back, cousin," he said, offering a hand to help her up.

She looked troubled, but rose to her feet and said, "It's good to be back," a shaky, fake smile on her face.

We said our goodbyes to Quahyliera, and prepared to leave for earth. With Rachel's return to her own body, there was nothing more to keep us here. We had destroyed the Yeerks' main base, and the Blade Ship would soon leave the planet if it hadn't already.

And besides, what could we do to stop the Blade Ship? Nothing. The one fighter we'd had, Ax's ship, had been destroyed. Even if the Blade Ship was still here, it's not like there was anything we could do about it.

I was actually a little happy about that. I'd already lived through one nearly-hopeless battle today, and I was glad to have the excuse not to wade into another. I knew that the Blade Ship was a loose end, and one that we would have to tie up before things got out of hand again, but I didn't want to deal with that today. There would be another chance. Maybe. Hopefully.

Before we left her cave, the cave which had been practically our home for these past few days, Quahyliera humbly bowed before our group and said, "Thank you, Animorphs. Even though you have not accomplished all you hoped to, you have freed my people. I am confident that the Yeerks will take their plans elsewhere after their defeat here. The Arn will not be slaves again. My people will be free! So, know that your efforts were not in vain. The Arn are in your debt. Remember this if ever you need anything that is within our power to give."

Jake bowed back and said, "And thank you, Quahyliera. Because of your help with our mission, we are a step closer to a defeat of the Yeerks. We may not have defeated them today, but, thanks to your bravery, that defeat may now be possible."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. Jake was being _way_ more polite than he needed to be. Quahyliera was an arrogant little pain in the butt who only helped us when it served her own purposes.

But then again, I thought, she might make a powerful ally one day, when it came time to call in the favor she had offered us. If that day ever came.

As the seven of us, the Animorphs plus Erek, climbed up and out of the Arn city, we could still see wisps of smoke coming from the cave we had destroyed. We climbed up and over the edge of the cliff, and set out across the tilted, foggy plains that separated the valley above from the cliffs below.

I groaned inwardly as I realized that the only transport we still had was the ship that had brought Jake and Erek and me here. And that ship was not meant to carry seven people. Particularly not four humans, an Andalite, a hawk, and an android.

It was going to be a long, long ride.

I was the one to lead the way to where the ship was hidden. It was _my_ ship, after all. As we approached, the Andalite pilot, dutifully waiting for us, raised his tail in an Andalite salute, and boarded the ship while it was still cloaked (how he found the door, I have no idea). He de-cloaked it for us, and we filed aboard.

I was right. There was not room for the seven of us. Rachel and Jake and I got the three chairs, but Erek and Cassie had to sit on the floor. Tobias perched on Rachel's shoulder, and Ax just tried to keep the blade of his tail out of the way and tried not to step on Erek or Cassie every time the ship lurched.

I would have thought that we would have no end of things to talk about. I mean, Rachel was back from the dead, and the seven of us were together and not facing imminent battle for the first time in years.

Yet, for the first several hours of our journey, the ship was dead quiet. Everyone was drained, exhausted, from hopeless battles fought against an enemy we thought we had conquered long ago. And with so much to think about, everyone just seemed to want to stare out the windows, all of us lost in our own thoughts.

Suddenly, desperately, I only wanted to be home again. Home, where nothing mattered except video games and billionaire sponsors and beautiful women.

But . . . no. I even if I returned home, I could never go back to that. That was a whole different life, a life that I might _never_ be able to return to. A life that I was never meant to have, no matter how badly I wanted it. Because, see, none of it had been real in the first place. It had all been a trick, a mask behind which the reality I had tried to escape from still lurked.

Yeah, screw you too, irony gods.

Of course, I'd never been one for self-pity. No point in wishing for things to be any way other than how they were. So I tried to turn my mind to other thoughts.

But then I happened to glance at Rachel. Her presence was a jarring sight, even now. To see someone who you had watched die, had mourned for years, and then finally came to accept their death . . . to see her just _sitting_ there, as alive as ever . . . it was more than a little unsettling.

Out of all the emotions I would have expected to feel at seeing her alive again, anger would have been the last one I would have thought I would feel. And yet, I'd _fought_ her restoration to life. Resisted it furiously and passionately. Fought against it, argued against it. Even put my friendship with Jake on the line because of it.

Was I mad at her? Yes, maybe a little, in that irrational part of my mind that existed beyond reason. But I knew I couldn't blame her for this. None of this was her fault.

It was Jake's fault. Jake had killed her. Jake had been unable to take that awful blame. Jake had been so determined to bring her back at any cost, not caring what boundaries he crossed. He, and he alone, had created this awful mockery of what Rachel had once been.

I sighed in helpless frustration, and that soft breath was enough to catch Rachel's attention in the thick silence. I closed my eyes and shook my head, not wanting to look at her, and quickly turned my attention back to the blank white of Z-space outside the window. I felt her eyes on me for another second or two, but then she returned to her own thoughts, leaving me to mine.

* * *

Sorry for the delay! I said I'd try to post more quickly, then I got distracted by life and stuffs, and ended up falling behind schedule anyway.

Vera: 32 chapters, total. I have most of them more-or-less outlined, but there's still a bit of proofreading to do. Still, only three chapters to go!

And thanks for the great reviews, everyone!


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